Friends and Enemies
by Traycer
Summary: A visitor from Jack’s past. Is it a friend or foe? Abyss revisited. This sequel picks up after my story, Home Again, and many references to events that happened in the first story are made in this one.
1. Friends and Enemies

The halls of the SGC were quiet when General Jack O'Neill stepped out of the elevator. He loved this time of day, too early for the rush of soldiers, scientists and technicians to be moving around to get their jobs done. Too early for anyone to be demanding his attention for some crisis or another, and he was reveling in the silence that told him this was a well run base. Deciding not to think about the demands and the multitude of crises that will arise in a couple of hours or so, he turned and walked toward the commissary intending to get some food into his stomach.  
  
He looked at his watch and wondered if there would be anything ready for him to eat. It was 6:00 a.m. and he figured he would just ask the cook to make him something if nothing was available yet. One of the perks of the job, he mused. Being a general in charge of the place certainly got him a lot of attention. Nobody wants to piss off a general.  
  
That thought made him grin as he moved toward his destination. He remembered well enough how many times he pissed off a general or two. And now his new recruit, Jack Gallagher, was moving in to follow in O'Neill's footsteps. Well, it was hardly difficult to do considering the new recruit was Jack O'Neill, or to put it precisely, his clone complete with all of O'Neill's memories and mannerisms.  
  
It still tended to boggle O'Neill's mind when he thought of his 'mini-me'. Once the kid was out of his sight, O'Neill promptly forgot about him, or at least tried to. There were plenty of other issues to deal with without having to deal with a 16 year old him. The old saying, 'Out of sight, out of mind' worked very well for Jack. His clone on the other hand had almost three years to deal with it, and it didn't seem to bother him a bit, well except for having to be a first year Cadet again.  
  
But now, he was forced to deal with the arrival of Jack Gallagher, his clone. O'Neill grinned as he thought about his younger cohort. They were so much alike, and he had realized almost from the start that they still think along the same lines, hiding behind the sarcasm and the commanding authority that came natural to them.  
  
O"Neill reached for a tray when he finally got to the commissary and began moving down the long counter picking up a cup and filling it with coffee. He stopped and debated what it was he really wanted as he looked over at the hot food. Did he want eggs or did he want cereal. Decisions, decisions. It wasn't like he had to make a thousand and one decisions throughout the day, he thought sarcastically as he stood there deciding about breakfast. Just pick something, Jack, he thought to himself, and his roving eye landed on some sausage patties. Hmmm….  
  
"You got any hamburgers back there," he said to the two men standing behind the counter.  
  
"Sir?" one of them asked. "I'm sorry sir, but this is breakfast and we didn't make any hamburgers. Would you like me to make one for you, General?"  
  
"No, not really," O'Neill said. "A thick, juicy cheeseburger with all the works just sounded good to me, that's all. I guess I'll go for the… uh… the… Oh to hell with it, I think I'll just get some cereal," he said walking away. From the corner of his eye, he saw the two cooks look at each other and one of them shook his head with a grin.  
  
He headed over to the cereal counter, but a thought came to him and he did a complete about-face and returned to the grill. "I've decided!" he crowed startling both cooks out of their musings. "I think I would like to have some of that great looking French toast over there," he continued proudly. "Throw on a couple pieces of bacon,… no, no sausage, and don't forget the syrup. Yeah, thanks," he said with a huge smile when he was handed the plate. You guys are doing a great job, by the way."  
  
"Thank you, sir," said the oldest one, giving the General a wary look. "We do try, sir."  
  
"Good job," O'Neill said again with a nod, and turned to find a table. He loved doing that to the people under his command. Keep them guessing and they won't see the real O'Neill, not to mention that people generally work better for a person if they like that person. And O'Neill knew that his people liked him, even when he was yelling at them for one thing or another.  
  
This brought his thoughts back to Gallagher. O'Neill couldn't help but smile as he thought about his younger counterpart. That kid can be the most frustrating, aggravating and annoying brat on the face of this planet, no wait, make that several galaxies, he thought, completely ignoring the fact that he was, in a sense, describing himself.  
  
O'Neill settled into his food as his mind went back to the day George Hammond told him about Gallagher's arrival. O'Neill had promptly went into a tirade about why it was not a good idea to have this kid back in his face, but George had been adamant. Since O'Neill had been a driving force in defeating many gould System Lords, so would Gallagher. They were one and the same, no matter how hard O'Neill snarled about it. And the icing on the cake was the fact that O'Neill would be retiring soon (not too soon, he hoped) and Gallagher can continue on in his footsteps for at least 40 more years.  
  
They both knew that Gallagher, being who he was, was destined to be a part of the SGC, after all he had fought the gould for six years before fate dealt him a heavy hand and cloned him into a 16 year old boy. Fate, O'Neill frowned. Loki, that Asgard bastard, couldn't in any way, means, shape or form be considered fate. He was a lunatic Asgard running around playing God with O'Neill's DNA. Just give me five minutes with him, O'Neill thought grimly. There wouldn't be anything left of Loki to salvage for DNA.  
  
O'Neill found himself wondering if Gallagher hated Loki as much as he did. He had to admit he didn't know a lot of his younger self, he was such a private person, not prone to giving out much about what he was feeling, which was so much like O'Neill.  
  
Yet, there were many instances when they did talk about private things amongst themselves as they knew that each would be the only person who would understand. O'Neill had to admit he was surprised when Gallagher mentioned the voice in his dreams, the one that preceded his nightmares. It was good that he did, because it made it crystal clear in O'Neill's mind that Gallagher was, in fact, O'Neill. The same man (albeit a lot younger in appearance), the same memories and experiences, and it gave him the piece of mind he needed when he was grappling with his decision to put Gallagher on SG-1's team.  
  
The reminder of dreams brought O'Neill back to the present as one of those dreams was the reason he was at the SGC so early. The nightmare had wakened him around 5:00 a.m. and he decided he might as well get the day started. So here he was eating breakfast all alone and savoring the quiet in the eye of the storm.  
  
O'Neill rose and got himself another cup of coffee and went back to sit down at the table. He was in no particular hurry to get to his office and the stack of decisions waiting him there, so he just sat there enjoying the silence.  
  
He had been there for what only seemed like seconds when he heard Walter say, "Good morning, Sir. You're here awfully early."  
  
"No I am not, Walter," O'Neill said. "You haven't seen me all morning, all this is a figment of your imagination," he continued waving his arms to indicate the entire room.  
  
"Yes, sir," Walter Davis said with a nod. "I guess the news about the Tok'ra can wait," he said as he turned to walk over to the coffee urn.  
  
O'Neill just sat at the table staring at his cup, wondering if he would get court marshaled for pouring the urn of hot coffee over the head of a sergeant, then took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. "The Tok'ra, Walter?" he said.  
  
"Sir? Oh, the Tok'ra, yes. They sent a message through the Gate about an hour ago," Walter said then turned to leave. "The message is waiting on your desk when you arrive at the SGC, sir."  
  
Damn insolent creature, O'Neill thought. "Walter, do you have your next of kin paperwork up-to-date?" O'Neill growled.  
  
"Sir?" Walter asked as he turned. O'Neill could see the sergeant was trying not to smile, but was not successful.  
  
"Just tell me what the message was," O'Neill sighed.  
  
"They said that their delegates will be arriving here sometime later today. No sir," he said when O'Neill opened his mouth to ask, "they didn't say what time. They just said that we should expect three of them to arrive and to talk with us about a specific situation," Walter finished.  
  
"Ya know, I hate it when they just come prancing in here expecting us to drop everything for them," O'Neill groused. "You'd think they would at least give us a heads up on what planet or System Lord they want us to blow up. Common courtesy, don't you think?  
  
"Yes, sir," Walter agreed.  
  
"We haven't even heard from them in awhile, not since that gould poisoning thing," O'Neill continued cutting off the memory of the devastation a decision he made caused. Don't go there, Jack.  
  
"I'm sure they will tell you everything when they get here, sir," Walter said, the look in his eyes had turned serious, and O'Neill wondered if the sergeant was sympathizing with him.  
  
"The Tok'ra?" he asked in mock surprise. "This is the Tok'ra we're talking about right?" O'Neill had to smile when he saw the grin on the sergeant's face. "These are the same people who live and die by the credo, 'Need to know is all you need to know'," he continued and rolled his eyes. "Well, Walter, since I apparently am here after all, I guess I will go to my office and get ready for the thrill of dealing with those sneaky, snaky….. uh, I mean… all important allies."  
  
"Yes, sir," Walter said returning O'Neill's smile and O'Neill could feel the sergeant's eyes on his back as he walked away. O'Neill knew what he was thinking, pitying him yet supporting his decision all the way. Oh man, there goes that good mood I was in, O'Neill thought.

* * *

Jack Gallagher was wishing he was anywhere but in the infirmary right this minute. He was not, and never had been one to be able to sit patiently unless, of course, he was in enemy territory. Times like that were different. He usually was busy keeping his mind alert by listening with ears attuned for danger and searching the area with his eyes, attention focused on one thing and one thing only, getting out of there alive.  
  
The infirmary, on the other hand, required a person to sit on a bed or a chair, and wait while the doctor did her stuff, in this case checking to make sure he was absolutely healthy and fit for active duty. He'd been telling her for over a week that he was, but typical doctors, they don't believe anything unless a whole battery of tests tells them it's so. It had been six weeks since that murdering bastard, Toran, tried to carve his left leg like a turkey and Gallagher had put a lot of work to strengthen the muscles to get it back in shape. The cuts in his stomach and on his cheek had long since healed and he was pleased to see that the one on his cheek wouldn't leave too much of a scar.  
  
He sighed and looked towards the doc's office wondering when she was going to show her face. It was a pretty face; he had to admit and grinned.  
  
"Well, Cadet," the doctor said as she walked out of her office a minute later, "it looks like you are more than ready to get back out there. You ARE going to avoid all incoming bullets, staff weapon blasts, bombings, knifings and assorted other mishaps that could put you back in here, aren't you?" she asked.  
  
"Heck yeah, doc," he said happily. He was going back out there! "I promise to dodge everything including native lunatics."  
  
"See that you do, because the nurses have threatened to quit if either you or the General find yourselves in here. I swear," she continued, "you'd think the two of you were twins as you both act just alike. Oh yeah, I forgot," she said as she smacked her hand to her forehead, "you are the same," she teased.  
  
"Yeah, well, don't tell that to the General," he said grinning at her. "You know how he gets when people tell him something he doesn't want to hear."  
  
"Yes, I do," the doctor said with a great deal of emphasis while she smiled at him.  
  
"Well, I'm off into the wild blue yonder," he said jumping off the bed and swinging his arms to the ceiling. "Or is it the wild blue event horizon," he puzzled, "Or maybe the…"  
  
"Good-bye Jack," she said pointedly and walked away shaking her head and laughing.  
  
"See ya, doc," Gallagher said as he practically ran out the door. No use giving her the chance to change her mind, he thought.  
  
Gallagher found himself in Colonel Carter's lab. He had wandered there because he really didn't have anything better to do and he wanted to tell her the good news about his returning to her team. At least, he hoped it was good news for her.  
  
"Hello, Colonel," he said as he walked in. He always felt lost in her lab because there were so many gadgets and doohickeys lying around and he was half afraid he'd break something if he even looked at it, so he just put his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet.  
  
"Morning, Cadet," she responded looking up from her laptop. "Don't you have something better to do?" she asked.  
  
"Well, so much for a welcoming party," he said, just a little hurt. "I know when I'm not wanted."  
  
"Wait. Jack," she called after him as he had turned and walked out the door. "What I meant was, aren't you supposed to be in the infirmary getting the green light for active duty?"  
  
"Oh yeah, I just came from there," he said relieved. "I'm a free man, Colonel Carter, ma'am. When do we leave?" "Not for awhile, I'm afraid. The Tok'ra will be here later today and SG-1 will be in attendance so you might want to be prepared," she said.  
  
Great, Gallagher thought sarcastically, he couldn't wait. "Dad gonna be with them?" he asked Carter. Her father, Jacob Carter, just happened to be a host to one of those snake heads.  
  
"I don't know, they haven't said who they're going to send. We'll have to wait and see."  
  
"What are they coming here for," he said trying not to roll his eyes. He really didn't trust those guys.  
  
"I don't know that either. You know how secretive they can be."  
  
"Yeah, I know," he said remembering the missions he had gone on as Colonel O'Neill that involved the Tok'ra and he was always out of the loop on those missions. Well, this time it will be Colonel Carter who will have to deal with the little 'surprises'.  
  
"Whatcha working on," he asked looking at her laptop.  
  
"Just some calculations. I have been working on a theory of taking the addresses we found on the cartouche in Abydos and the addresses you… Colonel O'Neill put in after the Ancient's information was downloaded into his brain the first time, and cross-matching them to see if there is a possibility of coming up with even more addresses and then charting them if we do find any. It's gonna to take some time, though," she sighed, "but I thought I would get started on it while we waited for the Tok'ra."  
  
"Wait," Gallagher said, "the first time?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You just said the first time he had the information downloaded into his brain. Are you telling me that he did it again?" Gallagher didn't want to believe that someone would go through that again, the frustration of not knowing what was going on and then not being able to communicate. No, he didn't….  
  
"Yes, he did," Carter said answering his spoken question. "Someone had to do it to keep it out of the hands of Anubis, and he figured he was the only one."  
  
"That idiot!!" Gallagher fumed. "What in the hell was he thinking. God," he said pacing the floor and running his fingers through his hair, "when I think of how I almost died, and he goes and does it again!" Horror dawned on his face as he realized what he just said. "Begging your pardon, Colonel Carter, ma'am. I apologize for the harsh words against the General. It's just that he is such a…" he stopped himself again, swallowed hard, put his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath.  
  
"That's quite all right, Cadet," she said, understanding. "I felt the same way, but someone did have to do it. Anubis was there and we were there and the Colonel just…, we almost lost him again," her eyes took on a haunted look and Gallagher quickly tried to dispel the mood.  
  
"He survived though, huh? I always knew he had it in him," he teased. "Why just look at all the times I got his butt out of one scrape or another. I tell ya, that guy needs me here."  
  
"Yes, but now who'll watch over you," Carter said laughing and Gallagher silently congratulated himself for chasing away the haunted look.  
  
"That's your job now, Colonel Carter," he said leaning closer and grinning at her, "with a little help from my other guardian angels, Teal'c and Daniel."  
  
"Somehow, I just can't picture either one with wings," she countered still smiling at him, "although Daniel came close when he ascended. The white light could be considered as wings, by some… something wrong Gallagher? You have that look on your face."  
  
Her statement surprised him out of the flashback he was having of Daniel being there with him in that cell. Jack had missed his 'angel' during the times he didn't show up. "What look, ma'am?" he asked as he struggled to get his emotions under control.  
  
"The one where you are determined to hide everything from the world, Gallagher," she said. "You know, no happiness, no anger, no nothing, the stone mask, as I have called it for as long as I've known General O'Neill."  
  
"Oh, that look," Gallagher said and smiled to prove that she didn't know what she was talking about. "I was just reminded of something," he said dropping the false smile when he realized that she just wasn't buying it.  
  
"Well, Colonel, I am going to go see if I can pester Teal'c for awhile," Gallagher said preparing to leave. "You know how testy he can get if he doesn't get his daily dose of aggravation from me."  
  
The memory of her smile and laughter followed him out the door as he left.  
  
He had just turned a corner in the hallway when the klaxons blared and an announcement was made that there was an off-world activation. Curiosity got the best of him and he headed toward the control room to see what was going on. 


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Diane for correcting all my mistakes.

* * *

O'Neill was actually doing paperwork, if you considered signing your name to documents paperwork. He finished signing several documents that would allow the purchase of two new computers, and then grabbed a folder that had SG-6's mission reports for their last mission and settled in to read. He didn't get past the first paragraph when the phone rang, and O'Neill grabbed the receiver.  
  
"O'Neill," he said into the receiver.  
  
"Jack! How's the weather out there?" George Hammond's voice spoke to him.  
  
"Bright sunshine, fresh mountain air, and wait, I think I see some clouds out my window," O'Neill said wishing he did have a window. "How about you?"  
  
"Oh can't complain, it's finally stopped raining. I was just calling to check on Gallagher's status. Did Doctor Wellters give him a clean bill of health?" George asked knowing Jack was not big on small talk.  
  
"Yes, she did, finally. I think I am going to actually get rid of the pest."  
  
"Well, now you know how I felt," Hammond said with a smile in his voice.  
  
"I resemble that remark, George," he said trying to sound hurt.  
  
"Seriously, Jack. How is he doing? Is he adapting to SGC, anything I should know about?"  
  
"Well, aside from his resentment at being kicked down from a Colonel to a Cadet, he is doing well. He's been helping me with some paperwork to keep him busy and to keep him out of the hair of others while he was recuperating. Other than that, he's doing great. He really did a bang-up job on Terrean."  
  
"His assignment to SG-1 was one of the best moves we made," Hammond agreed.  
  
"Yes, sir. And I just want to say that I taught him everything he knows," O'Neill said smugly. "He gets along with others on base, too, but then again… he's me. What's not to like? Charming, witty, handsome…, did I mention charming?"  
  
"Yes you did," George laughed.  
  
"Are you able to keep his history quiet from the other personnel?" George asked with concern. "God knows what will happen if the NID or the Trust finds out he didn't die when you came back. We need him at the SGC."  
  
"The doctor, SG-1 and you are the only ones who know, aside from me and the kid, of course." O'Neill said. "We are striving to keep it that way, although I think several people believe he is my kid or nephew or something."  
  
"It's good that we are taking precautions in that regard. Once Gallagher has that terrible, disfiguring accident that is going to require extensive plastic surgery, you both can work there and no one will think he looks anything like you. Besides Jack, you have proven your worth above and beyond the regulations, so let them think whatever they want."  
  
"Sir?" O'Neill was dumbfounded by that revelation. He had?  
  
"Jack," Hammond's voice softened, "you killed a teammate for the good of the base, and the world. You shot Sam Carter with a zat gun twice, knowing it would kill her. She was your second in command and a dear friend and it was fortunate for us the alien entity had already taken Sam to safety. I'm not blaming you one bit, Jack. I'm just laying it on the line; you have proven that you are to be trusted to do the right thing."  
  
O'Neill just sat there, hearing his friend's words that didn't quiet his nagging doubts. Was he really that trustworthy with the fate of the world? The welfare of the planet was in his hands, and sometimes the fear of making the wrong decision tore at him, making him wish he was in Gallagher's shoes.  
  
"Jack?" Hammond's worried voice sounded over the phone.  
  
"I'm here," O'Neill said, "just thinking about some horrendous decisions I had to make over the last eight or nine years. My day has been going downhill ever since I heard the Tok'ra were coming today - should I consider that an omen?"  
  
"Is that going on today?" Hammond asked. "Well, they have been requesting this meeting for a couple days now. I suppose it was inevitable."  
  
"Speak of the devil," Jack said as the klaxons blared overhead, "there's the doorbell. Gotta go George, I'll let you know what they want as soon as I can get away from them, okay? Oh and about those regs, do you think I could…?"  
  
"NO! Don't even think it, Jack.  
  
"Well, hell. It was worth a try," O'Neill said grinning and hung up the phone so that he could go see who was at the door.  
  
The Stargate activated the minute he reached the control room. Teal'c and Daniel were already there, and Carter walked in just as Walter said, "We're receiving the Tok'ra IDC."  
  
"Open the iris," O'Neill responded and led the way to the Gate Room.  
  
All four of them stood at the bottom of the ramp when Gallagher joined them. Three Tok'ra delegates came through the Gate and walked down the ramp. O'Neill didn't know if he was happy or not to see Jacob Carter among the delegates. Jacob was a good man, but his symbiote, Selmac, was a major influence on the guy and O'Neill had learned the hard way that a snake is still a snake.  
  
Jacob walked down and shook O'Neill's hand, "Jack! How you holding up?" he said with a huge grin.  
  
"Fair to middlin' Jacob. You?"  
  
"Could have been better, Jack, but we'll talk about that in a bit. Sam, sweetheart, how are you doing?" Jacob continued turning to give his daughter a hug.  
  
"Fine Dad. It's good to see you. I am surprised you are here, though," Sam said holding him away to look at him. "It really is good to see you."  
  
"Thanks honey, I was called in at the last minute to participate in these talks. The council thinks I could be an influence on your General here," Jacob said turning to smile at O'Neill.  
  
"Oh boy, here we go," O'Neill said resignedly.  
  
"It's not really all that bad," Jacob continued. "Come, I would like you to meet Avard and Janun," the two men nodded as their names were mentioned. "This is General O'Neill, my daughter Sam, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson and … um…" he faltered when he got to Gallagher.  
  
"Jack Gallagher," Gallagher interrupted holding out his hand to shake Jacob's. "Nice to meet you, sir."  
  
"Recruiting them kinda young, aren't you Jack," Jacob said to O'Neill after giving Gallagher the once over.  
  
"He just looks young. Shall we go?" O'Neill said indicating the way with his hand.  
  
"Sure," Jacob replied taking Carter's hand in his as he turned to lead the way. "Do I know him," he asked looking back at Gallagher as Carter pulled him away.  
  
"What have you been up to, Dad," Carter replied and O'Neill silently applauded her performance.  
  
Everyone else began to follow Carter's lead, except for one of the Tok'ra who was standing there staring at him and O'Neill felt a chill run down his spine. "Um.. something wrong?" he asked.  
  
The Tok'ra shook his head and turned toward the door. O'Neill put his hand on the Tok'ra's shoulder to guide him along and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The Tok'ra man kept walking away, leaving a shocked O'Neill standing there.  
  
What the hell was that all about? O'Neill wondered as he stared after the man.  
  
'Is it you?' came the small voice at the back of his mind and O'Neill felt the fear creeping up to envelop him.

* * *

Gallagher lagged behind the others as they headed for the briefing room. It worried him that Jacob might have recognized him. If Jacob did, wouldn't others?  
  
It was a given the minute they got back to the SGC that O'Neill's clone had died due to the breakdown of the DNA. Nobody had to know that Thor actually cured him and that he was alive and well and had assumed the identity of one Jack Gallagher, Cadet extraordinaire.  
  
He sat as far from Jacob as he could get when he reached the briefing room. O'Neill still hadn't shown up and Gallagher briefly wondered if he was going to.  
  
The Tok'ra, Avard, had come in last and was standing by the window, his hands held behind his back as he contemplated the view. He turned when O'Neill entered the room then went to sit down next to the other Tok'ra, Janun. O'Neill stared at Avard for a moment, then sat down at the head of the table.  
  
Gallagher waited along with the others for someone to speak. He was still trying to shake off the weird feeling he got when Avard brushed past him to get to the window. Jacob finally spoke up and said, "We have a problem and we need your help. The Tok'ra home world has been discovered by Nirrti, who has decided that we all should die. Our defenses are strong and we have been able to hold her off, but she is acquiring more ships, building her fleet and will soon be strong enough to take us down."  
  
"What's holding her back?" Daniel asked. "She has conquered the technology to become invisible, she could just come in and wipe you all out without you knowing it."  
  
"She tried that here, Daniel," Carter said, "we were still able to find her."  
  
"That's true," Jacob said, "but the fact that she is trying to join forces with Ba'al is what has us worried. We won't stand a chance if that happens."  
  
"That's pretty serious," Daniel said. "What can we do to help?"  
  
"Well, we want to get inside Nirrti's mother ship to destroy it before she can convince Ba'al to help her," Janun said, the guttural sound of his voice clearly indicating it was the Goa'ould speaking.  
  
"Well, that should be easy enough," O'Neill said, "we just walk in the front door and ask them nicely to show us where their generator is. Piece of cake," he said with a snap of his fingers.  
  
"Jack, this is serious. Do you think we would even come here if it wasn't?" Jacob said as he stared at the General. "We need your expertise; you've all done this before. Jack, please, we can't leave and we can't hide. Will you help us?"  
  
The room was silent and Gallagher looked at O'Neill wondering what he was thinking. He was wearing the 'stone face' as Carter called it earlier, working on something and hiding his feelings from outsiders.  
  
"Jack?" Jacob said.  
  
O'Neill turned and looked at Jacob and each of the two Tok'ra, then finally at Gallagher. Gallagher was shocked to see something that looked like fear in the General's eyes and he stared back at O'Neill with a puzzled frown. What? Gallagher wanted to shout. It unnerved him to see his counterpart like this and he didn't like being in the dark.  
  
"Sir?" Carter said tentatively. O'Neill's behavior was obviously spooking her, as well. "We could go in and plant C-4 around the…"  
  
"Do you have the floor plans of the ship?" O'Neill interrupted and turned to Jacob. "We would need to have as much information as you can provide us with in order to work up a strategy."  
  
"Yes, we do. And we have an operative inside that will help you once you are there," Jacob said. He closed his eyes for a second, and Selmac took over, "You will not be entirely alone when you go in O'Neill, Avard and Janun will be accompanying you, and I assume you will be taking SG-1 with you?"  
  
"Wait, what are you saying?" Daniel burst in. "You want Jack to go in personally? That isn't possible and you know it," he continued and Gallagher could see he was getting a little hot under the collar. "Jack is the commander of this entire base, he's needed here, not out there risking his life!"  
  
"It has to be O'Neill," Selmac said with as much calm as a snake could muster. "Nirrti's ship is already in orbit around the planet where Ba'al is rumored to be. O'Neill should be able to find his way much quicker, as he has been there before."  
  
Gallagher couldn't keep quiet any longer. "What's he talking about, General?" he said trying to quell the uneasy feeling that was threatening to go into hyperdrive.  
  
"Well, Selmac?" O'Neill said. "Are you going to answer him? 'Cause see, I would like to know myself."  
  
"You were there once before, Jack," Jacob answered instead. "Ba'al's fortress."  
  
No one said a word. Gallagher knew that O'Neill had to be thinking the same thing that was going through his own mind, no freaking way!  
  
O'Neill confirmed Gallagher's suspicion when he stood up and shouted, "No one is going anywhere except you three," he indicated the Tok'ra. "Get the fuck out of here," he said to enforce his statement and stalked off toward his office.  
  
The briefing room was cloaked in shocked silence after O'Neill's outburst. Gallagher wondered if he should go find out if O'Neill was okay, but decided he would wait until he was away from the prying eyes of the Tok'ra.  
  
Daniel, on the other hand, had no such qualms. He stood up, excused himself and walked over to the door of the office. He knocked once and let himself in. They all heard O'Neill when he said "Keep moving on out the other door because you are not staying here," before Daniel closed the door behind him.  
  
"Dad, why don't you three sit here and talk amongst yourselves while we go see if we can talk to the General," Carter said as she smiled at her father. "You are welcome to eat if you are hungry," she continued as she shot a worried glance at the door of the office.  
  
Jacob nodded at her as she got up to walk to the office. Teal'c was already at the office door and Gallagher got up to follow Carter.  
  
O'Neill was sitting in his chair silently fuming as Daniel stood over him begging him to talk to him. "Just tell me why you are dead set against this, that's all I'm asking," Daniel said looking up as his teammates walked in and closed the door.  
  
"Are those bastards gone?" O'Neill asked, ignoring Daniel.  
  
"No sir, not yet," Carter said. "With all due respect, sir, why the sudden outburst?"  
  
"Go make sure they don't leave anything behind when they leave, will you?" O'Neill said doggedly.  
  
"General, sir, does it have anything to do with Avard?" Gallagher hazarded a guess. Bull's-eye, he thought when O'Neill's head swung around and he stared at him in shock.  
  
"The tall one with the blond hair?" O'Neill asked.  
  
"Yeah, Avard," Gallagher said, "the one who had the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention when he brushed past me."  
  
O'Neill got up and walked over to the window and stared out at the men in the briefing room. "It's worse than that for me," he said quietly. 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Diane for correcting all my mistakes.

* * *

O'Neill stood at the window staring out at his past. He knew that Avard meant something to him, but he just couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
He closed his eyes and did his best to calm himself. He turned toward his friends, each wearing a look of worry and concern and walked back to his desk to sit down. No one said anything, they were waiting for him to speak, to say anything that would clear up the mystery of his behavior.  
  
Why did this stuff always have to happen to him, he wondered. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at Gallagher. "Is it you?" he said softly, looking into his clone's eyes hoping that Gallagher was experiencing the same thing to prove O'Neill wasn't crazy. 

"What?" Gallagher asked looking at O'Neill as if he had gone over the deep end. "Sir, are you alright?" O'Neill looked away and noticed that everyone else was looking at him with… was that worry?  
  
"No, Jack, I'm not," O'Neill said with a sigh, just get rid of them. "Colonel, go out there and make sure they leave."  
  
"What did you mean by that, sir?" Gallagher butt in, his concern clearly showing in his eyes.  
  
Wasn't he making himself clear? "I'm sure the Colonel can figure out my orders quite well, Cadet," O'Neill growled.  
  
"Yes sir," Carter said as she got up.  
  
"No, I meant about the warning," Gallagher said testily.  
  
"Wait a minute, what warning?" Daniel asked looking at both Gallagher and O'Neill. Even Carter stopped in her tracks and turned to hear the answer.  
  
"O'Neill, what is it you are not telling us?" Teal'c spoke up for the first time. "Your behavior indicates something is wrong and I believe it would be in everyone's best interest for you to reveal your secret."  
  
"Being a little nosey, aren't you, Teal'c?" O'Neill asked. Damn, wouldn't these people just leave him alone so that he could sort out this whole thing?  
  
"Jack?" Daniel pleaded.  
  
O'Neill put his head in his hands and rubbed his face. He could feel the eyes of his friends staring at him, and he figured what the heck? Maybe they could help him.  
  
The memory had haunted him throughout the entire meeting with the Tok'ra, taunting him, and he wondered a few times if he had lost his mind. Gallagher didn't seem to hear the voice of that memory, and although O'Neill was insistent that they were two separate people, he wanted Gallagher to be hearing the voice too, just to confirm that he was still sane.  
  
He looked over at Gallagher again, silently begging the younger man to clarify that he was hearing the voice.  
  
"General, what did you mean by that?" Gallagher tried again. "Sir?" he said when he didn't get a response.  
  
"Do you hear it?" O'Neill had to know.  
  
"Hear what?" Carter asked.  
  
"Not for awhile now, at least a week" Gallagher responded.  
  
"She's practically screaming at me now," O'Neill said quietly. "It has something to do with Avard, I know it does," he continued. "From the moment he walked down that ramp, I had this gut feeling."  
  
"Well, let's work this out, then," Daniel said. "Why would Avard bother you? Have you ever met him before?" he asked.  
  
"I've never heard it during the day, sir," Gallagher said with a puzzled frown, "only in my dreams."  
  
"You guys have the same dreams?" Daniel asked, apparently deciding this news was more interesting than the Tok'ra out in the briefing room. "Do you have them at the same time? What about your thoughts and ideas? Oh, oh wait, remember how you both said the same thing at the same time at Gallagher's first briefing? Oh man," he continued excitedly, "I gotta read up on this subject."  
  
"Daniel!" O'Neill snarled, "We are two different people who do not have the exact same dreams at the exact same time, nor do we have the exact same experiences. You got that?" What was wrong with that idiot anyway? O'Neill wondered. "Why don't you go and escort our guests to the Gate?"  
  
"We did have the exact same experiences up until three years ago, sir," Gallagher spoke up. He was staring at O'Neill with apprehension, and O'Neill realized that the thought of Gallagher understanding him was comforting.  
  
"Daniel," Gallagher continued. "While we…, Colonel O'Neill, was trapped in Ba'al's fortress, we…, he… damn, this is too difficult to explain. General, sir, permission to say it was ME just to make it easier to talk about? I know how you hate it when I remind you that I was you."  
  
O'Neill couldn't help it, the smile just bubbled up and he let it show through while at the same time rolling his eyes. "Go ahead, Cadet, but only just this once. I mean it," he continued.  
  
Gallagher grinned back at him, and O'Neill noticed that the others seemed relieved to see his own smile. Gallagher could be such an asshole sometimes, O'Neill thought fondly.  
  
"Well, as I was saying," he said shaking his head at the General, "when I was a prisoner in Ba'al's fortress, I kept recalling the same memory over and over again. It was a woman, and she kept saying the same thing, 'Is it you?' 'You shouldn't have come.' And 'He will know it is you.' I suppose this was a memory of her words to Kanan when he came back for her, but at the time, I didn't know who she was," he said, his eyes gazing at something far away and into the past. O'Neill knew what Gallagher was feeling and he looked down at his hands as Gallagher continued.  
  
"Ever since I came back, I've been hearing her voice in my dreams. It only happens just before a nightmare, which is why I've been calling it the warning. The General mentioned that he too still hears the warning just before a nightmare."  
  
O'Neill looked up to see Gallagher staring at him, and he was glad that Gallagher was here to help him through this.  
  
"Well, besides the fact that it is not a good sign that you are hearing voices in your head," Carter said with a smile, "what is it about Avard that would bring back the memory?"  
  
"Perhaps it is because the Tok'ra want you to go back to Ba'al's fortress," Teal'c said.  
  
"No, that's not it," O'Neill had to say. "That memory came to me before they even told us about that. Actually, I heard the voice right after I touched Avard's shoulder to push him along."  
  
"And the weird feeling I got when he walked by me," Gallagher said in a rush, his eyes widening.  
  
O'Neill and Gallagher stared at each other with horror. Gallagher's expression turned to anger, then to an emotionless mask and O'Neill knew his own mirrored Gallagher's. Don't let the emotions show through to others had been his motto from his youth.  
  
Gallagher turned and went to look out the window and O'Neill let his gaze drop to his desk. It can't be him, he thought knowing in his heart it was. 'He will know it is you,' the voice taunted.

* * *

The three Tok'ra were standing in the corner as far from the sentry as they could get and were talking amongst themselves. Gallagher stared at the little group, at Avard's back in particular, and wondered who that prick really was.  
  
He had a suspicion and he knew that O'Neill had the same suspicion judging by the look of horror on his face before it turned to stone. It couldn't be. He was dead. Wasn't he? Son of a bitch better be dead, he thought.  
  
He turned back toward the office and looked around at his teammates. All three had puzzled looks on their faces, but were ready to be there for the General, and for himself, Gallagher knew.  
  
"Jack, what really happened there," Daniel asked, looking at O'Neill. "I only know what I've read in the mission reports, and even that was sketchy."  
  
O'Neill didn't answer, just stared at Daniel. Gallagher knew at that moment that O'Neill had not told anyone about Daniel's visits to him during his imprisonment. He didn't blame him a bit, he would never have either. It's bad enough that he told them about the voice in his nightmares to have them all thinking he had gone over the deep end.  
  
"O'Neill had been captured and tortured by Ba'al, killed and revived repeatedly," Teal'c said.  
  
"We finally had to get Lord Yu to attack the fortress to give the Colonel a chance to free himself," Carter added.  
  
"He was there because of the Tok'ra wasn't he?" Daniel asked.  
  
"Yeah," O'Neill said giving Daniel an intense look.  
  
"And it's a Tok'ra that is invoking these memories," Daniel continued and Gallagher saw realization dawn on Daniel's face. "What happened to that Tok'ra, what was his name?"  
  
"Kanan, I believe," Carter said. "He left the Colonel before the Jaffa found him, leaving him to deal with Ba'al on his own."  
  
"The coward," O'Neill growled, voicing Gallagher's thoughts.  
  
"Yes, but what happened to the Tok'ra?" Daniel asked again, his gaze turning to Gallagher. Gallagher just nodded at the suspicion Daniel was harboring.  
  
"Well, he must have died," Carter said. "Or he could have found another….. Oh my God," she said as her eyes widened and she stared at O'Neill. "Oh my God!"  
  
"Avard," Teal'c said unnecessarily.  
  
"Kanan," Gallagher spat out. He leaned back against the window, crossed his arms in front of his chest and dropped his head to glare at the floor.  
  
"You were able to sense him, sir?" Carter asked. "From what I was told, he didn't blend with you, he…"  
  
"Took control and did whatever the hell he wanted to do," O'Neill roared, causing Gallagher to look up, "despite the consequences I would have to face." He dropped his head to his hands and Gallagher could see him trembling with anger.  
  
Gallagher's anger was near the boiling point, as it was, and he wanted to go out there and bash that bastard's head in.  
  
"Alright, alright," Daniel said trying to calm things down, "what do we do now? The Tok'ra need our help and let's face it, we owe them big time."  
  
"I can see why Jacob was forced to come here," Gallagher said. "They figured he would be handy to have around when we found out who came with him."  
  
"Why the hell did he have to come anyway?" O'Neill chimed in. "The Tok'ra could have sent anybody, why Kanan?"  
  
"There's only one way to find out," Daniel said.  
  
"Daniel," O'Neill said staring at the archeologist, "if I go back out there, that particular Tok'ra will be carried out of here by his comrades, that is, if they are still standing when I get through with them."  
  
"This is not the way to deal with this and you know it," Daniel argued. "They are asking us for help, help that we are able to give them, by the way, and we should at least consider their plea. It's the least we can do," he said.  
  
O'Neill didn't answer and Gallagher found himself wondering if Daniel ever remembered coming to see him in between the torture sessions. The answer came to him even as he thought it and it saddened him that this was something they never talked about. Daniel had been a slap of reality when he was there, keeping him sane, keeping him talking and caring about him. He had felt so empty and alone during those times when Daniel didn't come. He had missed his friend.  
  
"We'll go talk," O'Neill said quietly and he got up from his chair to follow through on his statement. "You were there, you know," O'Neill said to Daniel. "You wanted to help me ascend to get me out of there. I wouldn't and you left. I remember asking you to end it, but you weren't there." Gallagher had a vague memory of hanging on the wall, hearing Ba'al accuse him of losing his mind when he called to Daniel to end it.  
  
"I don't remember any of that, Jack," Daniel said, his expression showing surprise and sadness. "I'm sorry that I didn't help you out."  
  
"But you did, Daniel. You finally came back and told me to get ready to run," O'Neill said.  
  
"Not to mention keeping me company in between the sessions," Gallagher added trying to smile through his memories.  
  
O'Neill glared at Gallagher, "You can stop talking about yourself as me, now."  
  
"Yes sir," Gallagher said as he now tried to hide his grin. 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Turtle D for correcting all my mistakes.

* * *

The Tok'ra became quiet when SG-1 and O'Neill came back into the briefing room. O'Neill supposed it was no accident that Carter, Teal'c and Daniel chose to walk in front of him, almost as if they were guarding him. He went over to the table to sit down and gave Gallagher a reassuring smile before starting in on his spiel. "I want to apologize for my behavior," he began, "it's just that it's not something I want to remember and I reacted badly. I'm sorry." That ought to appease them somewhat, he thought.  
  
"You wanna tell us what that was all about?" Jacob asked, looking intently at O'Neill.  
  
"No," O'Neill said. "As for my accompanying you, I will have to clear this with my superiors. This may take some time… a day or two at the most." That's it O'Neill, stall for time here, he thought bemusedly.  
  
"We may not have the luxury to wait for that," Janun said.  
  
"Well, then you kids go right on ahead and have fun. Don't forget to drop me a postcard," O'Neill told him.  
  
"O'Neill," Avard spoke up for the first time. "There is more to this than your unwillingness to help us, isn't there?"  
  
O'Neill couldn't answer him, the rage rising in him was too intense and he didn't trust himself to speak. 'Is it you?' the memory called out as O'Neill stared at the Tok'ra bastard who used him as a weapon only to trash him when he was broken.  
  
"You know who I am," Avard said. It wasn't a question; just a statement and O'Neill could see that Avard was resigned to having to deal with a very angry General.  
  
"Yes." Don't strangle him O'Neill. He was having a hard time restraining himself. He looked over at Gallagher and saw that the young man was sitting tensely with balled fists. O'Neill vaguely wondered if he would even try to stop Gallagher from killing the snaky bastard should the situation arise, which by the looks of things was going to happen real soon.  
  
"This is fascinating," Jacob cut in excitedly. "How is it you were able to tell? Did you sense him? I would think that since he didn't blend with you, there wouldn't be any way to tell…."  
  
"The Goa'ould are quite capable of taking control and leaving a host if they so choose," Teal'c said. "Because of the length of time O'Neill was his host, and with the control of his actions, it would seem that there was a slight blending involved."  
  
"I am not a Goa'ould, I am Tok'ra," Avard said angrily, his eyes flashing. "And I did not take over; I merely took advantage of the situation and had O'Neill help me rescue Shallin."  
  
"Help you?" O'Neill snarled. "Forced me to, is more like it." Oh that jerk was so close to facing annihilation, O'Neill thought. "Did I have a choice? Did you even ask me? You used me and then abandoned me because of the coward you are." O'Neill closed his eyes against the anger, pain and humiliation the memories were bringing to him.  
  
"I am not a coward!" Avard/Kanan said in a voice that was deadly calm for all the anger showing in his face, his eyes glowing. "I did what I had to do to preserve my people. I was, I am, needed to help destroy the Goa'ould and I will do anything to further that cause."  
  
"Enough!" Gallagher shouted, jumping up from his seat and reminding O'Neill once again, that Gallagher had the same memories and the same fears. "You stupid son of a bitch," he continued pointing at Kanan, "you should be dead. Why aren't you dead? God, what does it take to get rid of your slimy ass?" He was pacing now and O'Neill knew he had to step in, even if he didn't want to.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill said quietly causing the kid to stop and stare at him. Help me deal with this, he pleaded silently, wondering if Gallagher would understand.  
  
Gallagher didn't say anything, just sat back down in his seat and went back to staring at the pad of paper in front of him. O'Neill sighed and looked at Kanan. "You are a coward and a sneak," he said with conviction. "Nothing you can say will ever change my mind. I was the one Ba'al tortured, not knowing the answers to the questions he asked, because you conveniently forgot to tell me the answers. I was the one who had to go through that, time after time after time. You didn't help me then, tell me, why I should help you now?"  
  
"Jack," Jacob said quietly, "it's not just Kanan's life at stake here. It's every single Tok'ra living on that planet. The Tok'ra, Jack. You can help us and I am here to beg you to join us in our fight to save ourselves. Please, Jack?"  
  
What to say to this, O'Neill wondered. It had to be serious for Jacob to beg, yet O'Neill just wanted to send them all packing without so much as a by your leave. God, he thought as he ran his fingers through his short hair, this was not getting any better. "Why did you bring these two along with you, Jacob?" he asked resignedly.  
  
"Both Janun and Kanan have been there as operatives and both know the layout of the fortress very well," Jacob said. "We are planning to go to the planet and get to the rings to transport to Nirrti's ship. We would like you to join us as you also know the layout of the fortress and SG-1 has been a formidable foe to the Goa'ould in the past."  
  
"Bringing down Ba'al would be an additional bonus," Daniel interjected.  
  
"I don't remember a whole lot about the fortress," O'Neill said, glaring at Kanan. "I was out of it the whole time I was there. Ba'al's lotar was the one who got me out of there when Yu attacked. She showed me which way to go to get to the Gate."  
  
"If both Janun and Kanan know the layout of the fortress, why do you need O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.  
  
Jacob looked over at Kanan before turning to O'Neill to respond, "Ba'al has a price on O'Neill's head and we want to use him as bait to gain access to the fortress," he said.  
  
"Like hell!" Daniel said, his face turning red. "And I suppose that we are to just let him go and depend on the Tok'ra to get him out of there? I don't think so."  
  
"I agree with Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said eyeing the Tok'ra with disdain. "You have already proven untrustworthy by claiming that you wanted O'Neill to join you due to his knowledge of the fortress interior, only to now state that you were really planning to use him as bait."  
  
"Our plan is to turn him over to Ba'al, then have SG-1 break him out as soon as possible." Jacob said, with a worried look at O'Neill. "He can then lead you all to the gate to return here. Janun and Kanan will ring up to Nirrti's ship to destroy it before she destroys us."  
  
"How do we all gain access to the fortress?" Carter asked. "You have a reason for Janun and Avard to be there, but what about SG-1?"  
  
"You all will be going by ship," Jacob said, "and once Janun and Kanan have gained entrance into the fortress, SG-1 will be able to transport down to the planet. You break O'Neill out and Gate back to Earth and all is well."  
  
"Plain and simple, huh?" Gallagher asked and O'Neill worried that Gallagher was going to blow his cover. "And then we all live happily ever after," Gallagher continued sarcastically. "There are several things that can go wrong with this plan and two of them are sitting here at this table," he said looking pointedly at Janun and Kanan.  
  
"There is a reason that place is called a fortress," O'Neill said, hoping to divert attention away from Gallagher. "Impenetrable comes to mind, as does the word 'crazy'.  
  
Jacob, however, was not listening to O'Neill, he was staring at Gallagher with an indecipherable look on his face. Probably remembering where he knew Gallagher from, O'Neill thought sourly. That kid was going to be the death of him yet.

* * *

It was because of the anger, Gallagher rationalized. That was the only reason he spoke up like that and gave Jacob the clue he needed to figure out where he knew Gallagher from. Crap! One of these days, he was going to learn when to keep his mouth shut. It was just so hard to sit there and listen to the Tok'ra talk about how they were going to bring down a System Lord using O'Neill as bait, as if it was an every day occurrence.  
  
And to top it all off, O'Neill is pissed. Gallagher knew he had blown it when the General glared at him as he told Jacob the fortress was impenetrable. Well, that's too damn bad, Gallagher thought menacingly.  
  
"What kind of things could go wrong?" Jacob asked Gallagher, staring at him with a baffled look. "How much experience have you had fighting the Goa'oulds? Aren't you a little too young to be telling me what will or will not work?" Jacob's eyes were boring into his and Gallagher stared back, trying to come up with something plausible.  
  
"I'm sure Gallagher is just worried about the General," Carter said trying to keep the peace. "I, for one, am against this unless there is a 99 chance we get the General out of there in one piece."  
  
"There are never any guarantees when dealing with the Goa'ould," Janun spoke up. "However, SG-1 has a history of coming out of any situation alive and we believe that this will continue."  
  
"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence there, Jan," O'Neill said, "but I just don't like to tempt fate. There is always a first time for everything and I don't plan on losing any of my people to your crazy, whacked up plans to eliminate the galaxy of another System Lord."  
  
"You're the clone, aren't you?" Jacob said to Gallagher, apparently ignoring the others. "That's where I know you from."  
  
Wonderful, Gallagher thought. Now what do I do? He sent a guilty look toward the General and realized he was in big trouble judging by the glare O'Neill had on his face.  
  
"Clone, sir?" Gallagher asked with what he hoped was a very convincing, confused look on his face.  
  
"Uh, Jacob," Daniel cut in, "there has to be another way to get in there without bringing Jack into it. I would think Ba'al would be happy to have anybody from the SGC. Think hostage situation."  
  
"C'mon, Jack, this is me you are trying to fool," Jacob said stubbornly, ignoring Daniel. "You are the clone, aren't you? We could use this; you could lead the others out of there." Jacob's eyes had taken on a glazed look and Gallagher could tell he was working out the details of the altered plan in his head.  
  
"What's he talking about, General, sir?" Gallagher said looking at O'Neill, hoping this would throw Jacob off the trail.  
  
"Jacob, he isn't the clone," O'Neill said wearily, "he is just an idiot who thinks he knows everything there is to know about fighting an enemy. He does have a point, though," he continued. "There are a lot of holes in your plan and they need to be filled in before we go any further. Like I said, I will not willingly put my people in harms way just because you ask me too."  
  
"Not the clone, huh?" Jacob said with an air of being totally unconvinced. Gallagher became a little agitated at the look Jacob was giving him. "You could go in instead…., wait do you still have all of O'Neill's memories? Yes," he continued apparently trying to keep up with his thoughts, "we could tell Ba'al that we have O'Neill's son and that he could be very valuable in getting back at O'Neill."  
  
"Yes, but will Ba'al believe us?" Janun asked doubtfully.  
  
"It would be worth a try," Jacob responded. "He does look like O'Neill, in fact just like the younger version of him. What do you say," Jacob asked Gallagher, "willing to give it a try?"  
  
"Wait a minute," O'Neill jumped in. "Number 1, he is not my clone. Number 2 nobody is going anywhere without my permission, and number 3, this is important Jacob, pay attention here, Gallagher is not my clone. Got that?"  
  
"Did the Asgard clone you, O'Neill? When were you cloned?" Kanan asked. "I would think it was after I healed you, as I never picked up on that piece of information when we were one."  
  
"Fuck off," O'Neill growled.  
  
"Gentleman," Daniel cut in, the negotiator must have decided to make an appearance. "Let's focus on the problems of the Tok'ra, shall we? Now I really don't think the higher ups are going to approve the General's participation for this trip. He does, after all, have a very important job monitoring the goings on in this place. I suggest we talk about Plan B."  
  
"Excellent idea, Daniel," Jacob said smiling. "Plan B, we take Gallagher to Ba'al and tell him that he is O'Neill's son and we would like to talk a trade. Once we are there, SG-1 will blast their way in to get Sonny Boy here and take off while Janun and Kanan go to Nirrti's ship to sabotage it," he said proudly sitting back in his seat.  
  
"What if I say no?" Gallagher asked quietly.  
  
"Disobeying orders is a court martial offense," Jacob replied.  
  
"Only if I recommend the court martial," O'Neill said. "Of course, he won't be disobeying orders if I don't give the order."  
  
Kanan stood up abruptly and Gallagher involuntarily jumped up and backed away from the Tok'ra when he realized that Kanan was heading his way.  
  
"Now just a minute," O'Neill roared jumping up out of his own chair. "What is this?" Gallagher could see that the General was just as worried as he was.  
  
"Are you O'Neill's clone?" Kanan asked, reaching out to touch Gallagher.  
  
Gallagher stood his ground with fists clenched tightly at his side. He knew he was close to doing some major damage to the Tok'ra who had put him through hell and he also knew O'Neill would cheer him on. But deep down, his instincts were telling him he had to hide his real identity as he really didn't trust the Tok'ra.  
  
Gallagher shuddered when Kanan touched his arm and he glared into the eyes of the host that bastard had taken. Kanan stared back at him and Gallagher felt a wave of intense hatred run through him. He swung before he even realized he was doing it. His fist connected with the man's nose and Gallagher heard the satisfying sound of a bone breaking, even as he felt the shock of pain in his hand.  
  
Kanan fell to the floor, but got up to throw a punch right back at his attacker. Gallagher was shocked to see O'Neill standing next to him the next moment, but understood that it was the General's turn. He backed off just as O'Neill threw another punch that caught the Tok'ra on the chin, causing him to fall back into the table, then onto the floor. Kanan got up and stood away from the two men, wiping the blood from his nose. Gallagher was contemplating hitting him again when Kanan spoke up.  
  
"I sense something within you," he said to Gallagher, "something familiar, although not as strong as I do with O'Neill. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you are the clone and O'Neill is the original."  
  
"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you are crazy," Gallagher growled. He wanted to beat that jerk into a bloody pulp.  
  
"Why the mystery," Jacob asked. "Why try to hide it from us?"  
  
"We don't want the NID to find out, or anyone else for that matter," Carter said, confirming the truth to the Tok'ra.  
  
"He is going to eventually look exactly like O'Neill. How are you going to explain that?" Jacob asked.  
  
"He won't look like me for much longer," O'Neill jumped in. "We are making plans to remedy that problem."  
  
"What plans," Gallagher asked a little testily. This was his life they were messing with.  
  
"We'll talk about it later," O'Neill said warily.  
  
They were doing it again, Gallagher thought angrily, planning his life for him, without even talking to him about it. Just who did they think they were? The military had the irritating habit of thinking they own the people who worked for them and could do whatever they wanted. Back off, Gallagher, he thought for the first time in awhile now.  
  
"Yeah, later," Gallagher snarled.  
  
"What do you remember of Ba'al's fortress," Jacob said apparently tired of the drama unfolding in front of him. "Anything?"  
  
"Nothing," Gallagher said. "Can't remember a thing." 


	5. Chapter 5

Author Notes: This series, which is a sequel to my story, Home Again, has some strong language and violence. Any feedback and/or gentle criticism is greatly appreciated.  
Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Turtle D for correcting all my mistakes.

* * *

This whole scenario stinks, O'Neill thought as he watched Jacob and Gallagher go at it. He wanted to just follow his instincts and toss all three of the Tok'ra head first through the Gate, but knew deep down that he really did need to help them.  
  
"Jack, or should I call you Gallagher?" Jacob said. "I'll call you Gallagher, okay with you?" he asked trying to win him over. "You must remember something of that place, the layout, how to get to the Gate from the holding area?"  
  
"Nope," Gallagher said. "Nothing comes to mind."  
  
"Jack," Jacob said turning to O'Neill, "you both are needed on this trip, but Gallagher here could take over for you. Talk to him, will you?"  
  
"Jacob," O'Neill said with a sigh. "The only thing I remember is the cell I was in and the route we took as I was being dragged from the sarcophagus to my cell and from my cell to Ba'al's chamber. I couldn't lead a rat through a maze, even if I wanted to." What's it going to take to convince these people?  
  
"I believe you still have the plans of the fortress from the last time?" Janun spoke up. "They are still the same with a few minor adjustments, which we can tell you about, and once you are there, I'm sure it will all come back to you."  
  
God, O'Neill thought as the memories swept over him. Ba'al had said something similar to him in his chambers. He felt like he was reliving all the horror of that time and he knew it was mainly because the son of a bitch who put him there and the object of his hatred was right here in this room. He clenched his fists as he debated whether he should just kill the jerk and get it over with.  
  
He took a deep breath and turned to the Colonel, "Carter, do we have plans of the fortress?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Carter said. She was still worried about him, he could tell and he sent her a reassuring smile. One of these days, he thought to himself. Too bad George nixed the regulations issue.  
  
"Okay then," he said, "Jacob, you and your cronies work with Carter here to get the plans up to date. I'll go make the phone call to coordinate this with Hammond and the President and we will reconvene here tomorrow morning to finish this one way or the other." He stood up to let them all know the meeting was over and turned to Gallagher, "We need to talk," he said, knowing it would be better to get this over with as soon as possible.  
  
"Damn straight we need to talk," Gallagher growled. "Sir."  
  
"Come on back to see me later today. I'm going to go and try to catch Hammond before he leaves his office for the day."  
  
Gallagher looked as if he wanted to say his piece right then, but must have thought better of it because he nodded and turned to go follow the others.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill said as a thought came to him. "Remember your manners now and don't kill the guests."  
  
"Yes, mom," Gallagher said rolling his eyes as he turned and walked away.  
  
O'Neill stared after him for a minute before he turned and went into his office to make his phone calls.

* * *

As it happened, Hammond was in and took Jack's call. They discussed the Tok'ra's plan and Hammond reacted pretty much the same as Daniel did, anger and astonishment that the Tok'ra would even come up with this.  
  
After talking it through, it was decided that O'Neill would be the one to go. The trip to Ba'al's fortress and back was going to take at least two months and Gallagher had classes to attend. O'Neill did not look forward to telling Gallagher this and mentally steeled himself for the battle that was threatening to take place in his office later that day.  
  
He decided to stall the inevitable and headed off toward Carter's lab. They were all there, including Teal'c, Daniel and Gallagher.  
  
"Well?" Jacob asked the minute he saw O'Neill. "Were you able to talk to George?"  
  
"Yeah," O'Neill responded. "He'll be getting back to me later today or tomorrow morning with the President's decision." No use telling them that the President's approval was just a formality. They had been quite sure they would get the permission.  
  
"We have made the modifications to the plans, sir," Carter said and pointed to the blueprints spread out on the table. "The only changes are here," she said pointing to a corridor that led to some rooms on the left side of the map. This section has been added on since you were there and Avard… I mean Kanan, tells me that this is a weapons stronghold."  
  
"Avard is my host's name," Kanan spoke up. "You may call me Kanan, if you wish."  
  
"How about we call you Coward," Gallagher snarled.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill said warning him to watch it. "I can see the last three years have made quite an impression on you. Hanging out with people your own age can do that to you."  
  
"Sir?" Gallagher asked, his voice was calm, but O'Neill heard the anger it was laced with.  
  
"Be nice, now," O'Neill said trying to lighten the mood. No use making things worse when they finally get to their talk. "Just cool it, okay?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Gallagher said as he glared at him.  
  
"The only other change is here," Carter said bringing them all back to the plans. "This area is an addition to the Death Glider's bay."  
  
"Ba'al has increased his inventory of Death Gliders," Janun said unnecessarily. "But we are more interested in Nirrti's ship."  
  
"Nirrti will have told Ba'al where your home world is located," Teal'c said. "It may be necessary to take out as much of his fortress as we can."  
  
"Won't Ba'al be suspicious if two Tok'ra just happen to be in the neighborhood wanting to trade a Tau'ri General?" Daniel spoke up.  
  
"Do you have a better plan?" Jacob asked. "We have been working on this for some time now and this is the best we can come up with," he continued. "We will just have to push our way in and hope for the best."  
  
"It will work," Kanan said. "Nirrti will not tell Ba'al anything until he agrees to help her and even then, she may not tell him what she needs his help for. She wants the Tok'ra home world for herself and she won't share it unless she has to."  
  
"Unless of course Ba'al resorts to torture," Teal'c added.  
  
"It won't come to that," Selmac said, the sound of his voice giving away the speaker. "Nirrti will tell him enough to keep him interested, but still withhold the important information."  
  
"Selmac," Carter said looking into the eyes of her father, but talking to the Tok'ra, "What are the chances of all of us making it out alive, especially General O'Neill?"  
  
"I would think that you, of all people, already know the answer to that question," Selmac said, looking intently into Carter's eyes. "It has always been the same for every mission."  
  
Carter knew the answer to her question, O'Neill realized, but she just seemed to need to hear it, possibly hoping for a more positive outlook. He stood there in Carter's lab unknowingly assuming the same stance as Gallagher did earlier, hands in his pockets as he watched his former second in command. She just nodded at Selmac, then looked at O'Neill and he saw her fear and concern for him. He smiled at her hoping to take away some of the burden she was carrying and she looked away. O'Neill fought the urge to grab her and give her the hug she needed, to tell her it would be all right.  
  
He took the professional route instead. "I'm hungry," he announced. "Anyone else interested in joining me?"  
  
"I am," Carter said having put aside her fears.  
  
"Me too," Daniel chimed in.  
  
"I will join you, as well, O'Neill," Teal'c said.  
  
"Well, that's settled then," O'Neill said. "Jacob, I hope you understand that it would be better if your friends over there," he nodded at the other Tok'ra, "not join us. Or at least sit at the very end of the table and not talk. Yeah, I think that would be best."  
  
"Why don't you go back through the Gate and come back tomorrow morning?" Gallagher offered. "I'm sure you would be more comfortable in your own beds."  
  
"Careful, guys," Jacob said. "If I didn't know any better, why I would think you all didn't like us," he added grinning at them.  
  
"You, Jacob, I like," O'Neill said putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's the snakes I have a problem with. Let's go see what's cooking, shall we?"

* * *

Gallagher sat at the table with the rest of SG-1 and the General. The Tok'ra, despite General O'Neill's wishes, chose to join them while they ate. The talk at the table was dominated by Carter and her father as they got caught up on each other's lives. Daniel jumped in once or twice, but other than that, no talk of dying planets, exploding mother ships, or any violence against a certain Tok'ra for that matter.  
  
Gallagher had too much on his mind. O'Neill had been avoiding him since the meeting with the Tok'ra and he had a bad feeling about it. It couldn't be because O'Neill was angry about the Tok'ra finding out he was the clone. No, if that was the case, the General wouldn't wait for them to be in private.  
  
O'Neill was avoiding him for a reason and Gallagher had a sinking feeling that he wasn't going to be included in this mission. He had to go, they needed him there. He needed to be there! Damn, he should have volunteered to go instead of trying to give Jacob a hard time.  
  
He looked over at O'Neill who suddenly thought something on his plate was extremely interesting. This only increased Gallagher's anxiety and he found himself staring at his own plate. God, he thought, they can't do this to me. Not now.  
  
"Gallagher," the Tok'ra, Kanan, said interrupting his anxiety attack. He looked up from his plate when he recognized the voice, but stared at Teal'c, who was sitting directly across from him. He tried to hide his emotions, but the anger was so intense, he wasn't sure if it worked this time. Teal'c gave him a questioning look, but Gallagher just ignored it. Instead, he slowly turned to Kanan and said, "What?"  
  
"May I ask you some questions regarding the fact that you are a clone," he said.  
  
"Not here," O'Neill said.  
  
"No," said Gallagher.  
  
"Perhaps later," Kanan said. "I am most anxious to learn of these things."  
  
Gallagher just ignored Kanan and went back to his fretting and picking at his food.  
  
"Eat up, Gallagher," O'Neill said. "You're going to need your strength."  
  
Gallagher looked over at O'Neill. Had he been wrong about him? Maybe he was still going on this mission after all. Damn it, he was getting his hopes up again.  
  
"Yes, sir," he said.  
  
A few hours later, Gallagher found himself outside the General's office. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door and entered when the General nodded at him.  
  
"General, sir, you wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes, Gallagher, come in. Shut the door, will you? Sit down. Want some coffee?" O'Neill said.  
  
"No thanks, sir," Gallagher said wanting to get it over with.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill said as he clasped his hands in front of him. "General Hammond and I have talked this over and it's been decided that you will be sitting this mission out." Trust O'Neill to get right to the point.  
  
"Why?" Gallagher asked in a calm, but deadly voice.  
  
"Because you are more valuable to us as an officer and the only way you are going to become an officer is if you finish your classes. You start back in a couple months and this mission is going to take much longer than that."  
  
"I was able to test out of quite a few classes," Gallagher said, while striving for control of his anger. "I've pretty much cut off a few semesters as it is. One semester won't make or break me."  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill began, but Gallagher was past listening. "You can't do this to me," he said jumping up out of the chair to pace the office. "I belong here, O'Neill, you know that I do. I am willing to start at the bottom, but I need your say so. Look," he continued, placing his hands on O'Neill's desk, "I'll go out there while you stay here to keep this ship afloat. You're going out there to risk your neck for nothing! I can go in your place."  
  
"It's not that simple, Gallagher. And believe me, I would send you out there if I could. I know more than anybody that you can handle it, but it is not entirely up to me. Besides…" He stopped and Gallagher's anxiety rose ten points.  
  
"Besides what?" he asked, not really sure he wanted to know.  
  
O'Neill looked away from his clone, sighed, then looked squarely in Gallagher's eyes. "Besides, you are going to be incapacitated during the next six weeks."  
  
"I am?" Gallagher said raising one eyebrow.  
  
"Well, we have to do something about the way you look," O'Neill said. "If we want the world to think that you are not my clone, well then it would be better if you were someone else."  
  
"Someone else," Gallagher said flatly. "Who?"  
  
"Plastic surgery to alter your looks," O'Neill said. "We figured that you will be involved in an accident that will require facial reconstruction. This way, no one will suspect a thing."  
  
Smug bastard, Gallagher thought. "I see," he said as calmly as he could. "When is this 'accident' going to happen?"  
  
"In the next couple of days," O'Neill said looking relieved. "This way you should be healed and ready for classes when school starts again."  
  
"I have no say in this, sir?" Gallagher asked.  
  
"Not if you want to stay in the SGC," O'Neill said quietly.  
  
"Why can't the accident happen while I am on this mission to Ba'al's fortress?" Gallagher asked, starting to think things through.  
  
"Classes. Academy. Any of this ring a bell? I mean, it's only been a few minutes since I told you this the last time," O'Neill said exasperated.  
  
"C'mon, General, sir," Gallagher pleaded. "It sounds like I will only be missing one semester, it won't make or break me here," he repeated. "Besides, what happens if you aren't able to show the others the way? I could be your back up. Even better, I could go in your place."  
  
"No," O'Neill said. "The decision's made. SG-1 and I will be heading off to Tok'ra land, while you will be heading to a hospital to do what we should have done three years ago. You were only supposed to be going on the more routine missions, anyway."  
  
"Oh, and this is not a routine mission?" Gallagher growled. "A lot has changed since I was the commander of SG-1."  
  
"You weren't the commander of anything," O'Neill shouted as he jumped up from his chair. "You forget that I am the original here. You're just a copy and a bad one at that."  
  
"It appears I am good enough to be your replacement," Gallagher sneered.  
  
"That can be easily taken care of," O'Neill warned. "Don't forget who's in charge here."  
  
"You are, sir," Gallagher said glaring at the General, "the great Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill. And please, feel free to make sure to rub it in whenever you think it's necessary."  
  
"Cadet, you are bordering on insubordination," O'Neill said, the anger evident in his voice.  
  
"Yeah, well it happens," Gallagher said. "What's it like being on the other end of your insubordination?"  
  
O'Neill just gaped at him. They were both standing on either side of the desk staring at each other. O'Neill's surprised look turned into a grin and Gallagher had to smile right back at him. It appeared he wasn't going to be able to stay mad at General O'Neill for long.  
  
"Look, sir," Gallagher tried again. "Please, just let me go on this mission. I can be of help to you all, I know I can. I promise, I will go straight to the nearest plastic surgeon the minute I get back. Scout's honor," he said holding one hand over his heart while the other hand was raised in the Boy Scout salute.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill sighed. "I don't…."  
  
"General, I will graduate on time, I swear," Gallagher cut in. "Just give me a chance, please."  
  
"I'll talk to Hammond," O'Neill said. "No guarantees. But yeah, I'll talk to him."  
  
Yes, Gallagher thought. Now all he had to do was pray. 


	6. Chapter 6

Author Notes: This series, which is a sequel to my story, Home Again, has some strong language and violence. Any feedback and/or gentle criticism is greatly appreciated.  
Thanks to all of you who have sent in reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. Special thanks go to Turtle D for correcting all my mistakes.

* * *

The klaxons were blaring as SG-1 and the Tok'ra stood in the Gate Room. O'Neill looked around and tried not to show his excitement. He was going back out there! An honest to God mission, he thought to himself. It's about damn time!

He looked over at Jacob who was talking to Carter, probably saying his good-byes, although he would be traveling through the Gate with them. Jacob wasn't going to be joining them on this trip, his job of talking O'Neill into this mission over. They were going to gate to the Tok'ra world, then board a ship to take them to Ba'al's fortress. From there, it was anyone's guess, although to be fair, they did have a plan.

"Chevron 3 encoded!" came the voice over the intercom.

Some plan, O'Neill thought as he mentally went through his pre-mission checklist. He was interrupted by Daniel bumping into him and O'Neill smiled back at one of his best friends.

"Ready to go, Jack?" Daniel said looking him up and down. "What's missing? Oh, I know. Your cap," he said reaching over to grab Gallagher's hat to give to O'Neill.

"Hey, that's my hat, thank you very much," Gallagher said snatching it back. "The General has his own," he said pointing to the object O'Neill had in his hands.

"Chevron 4 encoded!"

"Yeah?" O'Neill said. "Well, I like yours better. Hand it over," he reached over to get the hat, but Gallagher had pulled back and wagged it in front of him as if taunting O'Neill.

"It's the same one you have, except mine's a 'copy' of yours," Gallagher grinned.

O'Neill just shook his head and joined Daniel's laughter. Damn kid, he thought.

"Chevron five encoded!"

"Jack," Jacob said as he came over to stand near him, "I'm glad Gallagher's coming along. He will be a major player on this mission."

"Yeah, well you have no idea how hard it was to get Hammond to agree with it. Like pulling teeth," O'Neill said. "I'm glad I won't be here when he arrives to take over while I'm gone."

"Best way to hide out," Jacob said knowingly. "And don't worry, your secret is safe with me," he added nodding at Gallagher.

"Chevron six encoded!"

"Thanks, Jacob. We do appreciate it."

"You going to be okay seeing Ba'al up close and personal?" Jacob asked him worriedly.

"Yeah," O'Neill said. "I'll be okay."

"Chevron seven locked!"

The Stargate erupted in a swirl of blue white light that seemed to magnify the thrill O'Neill was experiencing. He watched as the energy pushed the event horizon out toward them before settling into the calm environment that always reminded him of a whirlpool.

"Let's move out," Carter called causing O'Neill to remember the little chat they had early that morning about who was going to be the boss on this trip. He had made it clear that she was going to be in charge WHEN he was not available, which caused her to frown at him before saying the ever popular phrase, "Yes, sir."

He grinned when she looked up at him and she actually looked sheepish at what she had done before turning to walk up the ramp. God, he loved that woman. Don't go there, Jack, he said to himself as he followed her up the ramp and into the vortex.

They stepped out into a wooded area. O'Neill was pleased that it wasn't a desert like the first planet they found the Tok'ra on. He wasn't too fond of the desert, having spent some of the worst months of his life in one.

He turned to survey the land as the Gate shut down and he noticed several people stepping out from behind the trees to greet them. They were Tok'ra and Jacob raised his hand in greeting.

The Tok'ra welcome party consisted mostly of men, but O'Neill noticed a woman among them and he recognized her as she came closer to him. It was Shallan, the woman he rescued from Ba'al's fortress, the woman whose voice haunted him during his nightmares.

O'Neill didn't say anything and he stood there as she came up to him, her eyes searching his. She smiled at him and said, "I was not sure if you would come, but I am glad you did."

He just stood there staring at her, the memory of finding her in her cell while Kanan controlled his actions floating through his mind. He remembered her frequent visits, warning him that he shouldn't have come to get her. Memories of her face as she stood in front of him in Ba'al's chamber whispering to him, 'Is it you?' before fading away to the back of his mind to bide her time until he needed to see her again. She stood before him now and her presence brought back the grief, terror and agony he suffered at the hands of her Lord, Ba'al.

"O'Neill," she said staring into his eyes as she reached up to stroke the back of her hand down his cheek, "you have recovered?"

"Yes," he said softly, his memories still bogging him down.

"I wish to thank you again for saving me," she said. "You are a good man."

"No problem," he said. "The Tok'ra treating you right?" he asked, suddenly worried for her.

"Yes," she said with a small smile. "I am reunited with Kanan and we are doing what we can to destroy the Goa'ould, all of them."

"Kanan," O'Neill said, feeling the anger well up inside him again. He didn't want her to see the anger so he pushed it away, giving her a small smile of his own.

"You are very brave to go back into the fortress," she said. "I have something I would like to give you. It will help you if your journey gets rough."

O'Neill looked at the threaded bracelet she had given him. The dark brown threads were woven tightly with a few tiny wooden beads intertwined throughout. It was a talisman, he knew, and he was honored that she would give it to him. "Thank you," he said with feeling.

"Perhaps it will remind you of me when it is time for you to leave the fortress," she said, "and in turn you will remember the way out."

"Perhaps," he said with a sad smile and a small nod. He had a feeling he would be remembering her anyway, with or without the bracelet.

"Shall we go?" Jacob asked O'Neill.

"Yeah, let's get this show on the road," O'Neill said. He turned to follow Jacob, but looked back at Shallan, grateful for her thoughtfulness. She gave him a small wave before being engulfed in Kanan's embrace and O'Neill turned back to follow Jacob through the trees.

* * *

Gallagher trudged behind O'Neill, while lost in his own thoughts. He had been shocked to see Shallan, having recognized her almost instantly, and he couldn't stop the memories that had swirled around him. Dark memories that threatened to swallow him whole and it was difficult to shake off the terror those memories brought back. 

He often wondered why her vision came to him between and during the sessions and had come up with several theories. Well, besides the obvious one of having lost his mind, that is. Maybe he needed to remember her beauty and fragility in order to keep her safe by not telling Ba'al what he wanted to know about her. Or maybe it was because the memory of her was the only one he had while Kanan had control and he hung on to it in order to gain back some of the control. Whatever it was, the memory of Shallan, the frequent visits from Daniel and the thought that Carter and Teal'c would figure out a way to get him out of that predicament were all that held him together.

He wondered what it was that she gave to O'Neill. Something to remind him of her, she had said. Like he didn't remember her every single time he had a nightmare, he thought shaking his head. Gallagher was pretty sure that he was going to be reminded of her every step of the way while traipsing through Ba'al's playground.

The trek through the woods seemed to take forever and they didn't follow a path as far as Gallagher could tell. He admired the Tok'ra for their cunning in making it hard for the Tel'tak to be found by anyone coming through the Stargate.

He looked back and saw Carter following him and she smiled at him when she saw his gaze was on her. They had only been on this planet for a brief time and no one actually spit out any orders yet, but he couldn't help but wonder if Carter had a talk with the General about who was going to be in charge. If he knew O'Neill, and he knew him very well, Carter was going to have to resign herself to being second in command again.

Gallagher grinned at the thought of those two butting heads, knowing Carter would give in to her superior officer without too much of a fight. It just amused him to no end when he thought of her 'demotion' to second in command, especially after she made such a fuss about him joining her team. Of course, he would never admit that to anyone. His mama didn't raise a fool.

They reached the cargo ship and he helped Daniel and Teal'c load some supplies and equipment onto it, while O'Neill and Carter talked with Jacob. They had just finished putting the last crate in the hold when Gallagher's least favorite person showed up with his companion, Janun, and both men offered to help.

"We are finished here," Teal'c told them.

"I see," Kanan said and both Tok'ra walked into the ship to prepare it for take off.

Daniel and Gallagher looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the abruptness of the Tok'ra and they walked over toward Jacob and O'Neill, while Teal'c stayed behind to close the compartment.

He had almost reached the General when Gallagher heard her voice calling to him. "Gallagher," she said, the softness sending a chill down his spine.

He turned to look at Shallan and was surprised when she put her hand on his arm.

"Kanan tells me that you are O'Neill's clone and that you may share his memories. Is this true?" her eyes were searching his, looking for the truth.

"Yes," he said as he looked back into her eyes. No use lying to her now. "It's supposed to be a secret."

"Your secret is safe with me," she said reaching for his hand. "Do you have his memories?" she asked again.

He looked down at the hand that was holding his, trying to steer off the memories her question invoked in his mind. He wondered if he was able to hide the fear in his eyes when he looked back at her. "Yes," he whispered. Her eyes widened and he knew what she was thinking.

"Tell me," she said quietly, her eyes still searching his.

Gallagher suddenly wished he was anywhere but here. He didn't want to remember any of it, but he knew it was inevitable the moment he heard of the mission. Those memories were not going to stop him from doing what needed to be done and he might as well get used to them.

"I remember your eyes," Gallagher said. "You were looking at me just as you are looking at me now, searching for the truth of who I really was. I remember your voice when you asked me if I was the one you were waiting for. I remember your fear when I found you in your cell and tried to drag you out of there. And I remember the agony and the anger, as I tried to hold on to my dignity as long as I could. I don't want to remember any of it, yet I still do."

This seemed to satisfy her. "Thank you for saving me," she told him, turning his hand palm up and dropping something into it. She closed his fingers over the object and looked back at his face. "It's something to remind you of me and will hopefully help you and O'Neill get out of there safely."

"What is it?" he asked.

"A token from my heart," she said with a smile. "O'Neill has one just like it, as does Kanan."

"Thank you," he said, looking in her eyes to show her his sincerity. "I'll keep it with me."

"You need it more than I do," she said backing away and he knew at that moment it had been hers. He looked at the bracelet she wanted him to have and felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He blinked them away and looked back at her giving her a smile that told her she had touched his heart. "I'll keep it with me to remember you," he said again.

She smiled back at him and they turned toward the ship to find O'Neill standing there watching them. Shallan took Gallagher's hand and led him over to stand next to the General. "I would ask you both one more thing," she said, as her face became serious. "Please forgive Kanan."

Neither man answered her simple request. Gallagher stared at her as he tried once again to hide his anger from her. He wondered if the General was doing the same.

"Please," she said, "please try to forgive him."

"I will try," O'Neill said.

"Me too," Gallagher agreed. 

She gave them a nod and turned to walk away. Gallagher found himself wondering if Kanan agreed to Shallan's behavior toward the two men. He knew that he personally would be steaming if he saw his woman touching other men as Shallan was doing.

O'Neill interrupted his musings by grabbing him by the arm and dragging him off toward the ship. "C'mon already," he said. "We have another world that needs saving."

Oh yeah, Gallagher thought as he followed his 'original' to the ship.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Thanks to Turtle D for doing a fantastic job of beta reading this.

* * *

O'Neill came awake slowly, his senses confirming that he was still on the cargo ship heading for the fortress. They had been traveling for several weeks now and he just wished it was over. He didn't have any fear of what waited for him, just a deep seated wish to get it all over with. There wasn't a whole lot to do here and boredom took its toll.  
  
He sat up and looked around at his people who were all sleeping and he wondered if he did the right thing in allowing them to come along. Carter and Daniel were sharing a shelf, a built in recess that was big enough to sleep on, with Daniel on one end and Carter on the other. Teal'c chose to fall asleep away from the others and was lying against the far wall. He didn't see Gallagher, which caused him to wonder where he was, but knew he couldn't be far – nowhere to go on a ship out in space.  
  
O'Neill got up to stretch and walked over to the control area. Kanan was there keeping an eye on things and O'Neill decided he really didn't want to be there. It wouldn't do to beat the crap out of a pilot while the ship was still moving.  
  
He hadn't gotten far when he heard Kanan call out to him softly, "O'Neill, now would be a good time to talk."  
  
"Nothing to talk about," O'Neill said. "But thanks for the concern." He knew Kanan was trying to ignore the false smile and sentiment.  
  
"I realize that there is not much I can say to make things right for you, but I feel that we should try to get past our difficulties," Kanan continued.  
  
"Not interested," O'Neill replied. "It's all water under the bridge and there is nothing you can say to take away all that Ba'al did to me."  
  
"It is unfortunate that we were caught," Kanan said. "I did not mean for that to happen."  
  
"I'm gonna have to ask Daniel or Teal'c how to say 'Not interested' in Go'uld," O'Neill said. "Maybe then you'll be able to understand what I am telling you."  
  
"I had to go back to try, O'Neill. Shallan's life depended on it," Kanan said sounding suspiciously like he was pleading. "I was afraid Ba'al would torture her just as he tortured you."  
  
"You finished yet?" O'Neill said with a deadly calm voice.  
  
"No," said Kanan, "not yet."  
  
"What about the phrase, 'Shut up'? Do you know what that one means?"  
  
"O'Neill, tell me what Ba'al did to you," Kanan said quietly.  
  
O'Neill just stared at Kanan, not believing the gall that snake had. Several things popped into his head for him to say, but nothing came out, the anger swelling in him overrode all words. He turned and left the room with a look at Kanan that would have killed him on the spot if O'Neill had anything to do with it.  
  
He walked back into the room where everyone was sleeping and stepped over Jacob, who had been bullied into coming along for the ride by Sam and Janun. He moved into the cargo area and found himself staring at the circle in the floor where the transportation rings were located. He just stood there staring at nothing as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Damn that son of a bitch, he raged inwardly.  
  
"Something wrong, General?" came a voice from his left causing him to jump a foot. He must be losing it, he thought as he tried to calm his heart.  
  
"Gallagher," O'Neill said in greeting.  
  
"Sir," Gallagher responded. "You know, I think I will keep my distance until you decide whether you are gonna swing at something or not. I wouldn't want to get in the way of the famous O'Neill right hook."  
  
"Famous right hook, is it?" O'Neill asked feeling the anger slip away. "A little optimism goes a long way." He could see Gallagher's smile and he walked over to sit beside him.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Gallagher asked.  
  
"Nah. I just had a little run in with a bastard and I didn't want to upset things by killing him."  
  
"Will they kick me out of the SGC if I do it for us?" Gallagher asked in all seriousness.  
  
O'Neill didn't get the chance to answer his clone because Kanan decided to show his face right then. He could feel Gallagher stiffen next to him and O'Neill wondered if he could restrain himself from following through on his own thoughts.  
  
"I would like to talk about this," Kanan said coming closer to the two men. "I think it would be best if we all got this out in the open."  
  
"Who's flying this tub?" O'Neill snarled.  
  
"I asked Janun to take over although it really isn't necessary to monitor it at all times," Kanan said sitting down on the floor in front of the two men.  
  
"Gallagher, did you by chance learn any Go'uld words? I'm particularly interested in the translation of 'Shut the hell up'," O'Neill said while glaring at Kanan.  
  
"Sorry sir. The only one I really know is kree," Gallagher said.  
  
"I know what I did seemed cowardly to you both, but I did what I had to do to save my people," Kanan said ignoring the attempts to silence him. "I had the information that would cause the demise of entire worlds and I did not want to be the one to give that intel to Ba'al."  
  
"I'm not sure why I felt I had to go back for Shallan," Kanan continued when neither man spoke up. "I suppose you had something to do with it, O'Neill. You were condemning me and I…"  
  
"Oh, so it's my fault now," O'Neill said, fighting the urge to shoot the son of a bitch.  
  
"No, O'Neill. It was not your fault. I could have just ignored the shame I felt when you deemed me a coward for leaving her behind," Kanan said his eyes glowing. "But I couldn't, your anger and your hatred at what I was caused me to think that I had to go back to get her to prove to you I was more than just a 'snake'. More than something that was beneath you."  
  
"And yet, you abandoned me just as you abandoned her," Gallagher spit out. "Just like the snake you are."  
  
"I had no choice. You were dying and I knew Ba'al would revive you to find out why you were there. I also knew that I would not be able to help you, nor keep the secrets of the Tok'ra if I stayed. I had to leave, and for your information, I knew that I would die if I left your body. It was a coincidence that a servant was shot down near to where I waited for death and I took advantage of the opportunity. By that time it was too late to get you or Shallan out. Ba'al had tripled the guards when they didn't find me."  
  
O'Neill was speechless. He understood why Kanan did what he did, but it didn't help him in coping with the memories. Oh sure, the doctors, therapists and psychiatrists did what they could to help him deal with his memories of the torture, they just couldn't show him how to get rid of the anger he experienced every time he thought of Kanan and his betrayal.  
  
"Would Shallan have endured the torture?" Kanan asked quietly. "Did I do the right thing in going back for her?"  
  
That bastard! O'Neill raged. The images of the torture Ba'al put him through were racing through his mind - the knives, the batterings, the acid, the blood, all of that and more. He closed his eyes and unconsciously pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he fought off the images. He remembered Ba'al's face sneering at him while the pain ate away at his soul, all the while knowing that the sarcophagus was eating away at his mind. And the torture had continued when he got back to the SGC as he went through the withdrawals from the sarcophagus. Kanan and Ba'al had taken something away from him and he often wondered if he would ever get it back.  
  
"God!" Gallagher said softly. O'Neill looked over at him and was shocked to see that Gallagher had curled up into a ball, his arms wrapped around his knees, which made him realize that he was doing the same thing. Gallagher glanced at him and they both relaxed their postures.  
  
"Did I do the right thing?" Kanan asked again.  
  
"Yeah," O'Neill admitted quietly. He had endured a lot to protect Shallan from the very thing Kanan had wanted to protect her from.  
  
"Was she in danger of getting caught in the first place?" Gallagher wanted to know. O'Neill noticed that his clone wasn't glaring at the Tok'ra. This was a good sign.  
  
"I had no idea if she was or not," Kanan admitted. "I did not want to take the chance. I am grateful to you for finishing what I started."  
  
The room had gone silent at those words. O'Neill looked down at the bracelet Shallan had given him. He had put it on the same wrist as his watch, and knew at that moment that he could forgive Kanan, given enough time. The hatred seemed to melt away as he touched the beads. Shallan had looked so fragile in his memories of her and he was suddenly glad that he had helped her.  
  
"Shallan wanted us to forgive you," Gallagher said as he reached into one of his pockets to pull out the bracelet he had been given. He put it on his left wrist so that it blended in with his watch as O'Neill had done. "I can give it a try."  
  
"That is all I ask," Kanan said.  
  
"Well, girls," Gallagher said. "Now that we have cleared the air, how about raiding the food stuffs to see what's out there. What's a pajama party without popcorn?"

* * *

His attempts at lightening the mood didn't go over too well. "I would rather talk with you about your being a clone," Kanan told him. Gallagher had been trying to deal with the conflicting emotions he was having toward Kanan and now he was glad Kanan brought this up to let the anger win over.  
  
"There is nothing to talk about," Gallagher said. "I woke up one morning a younger version of myself and life moved on."  
  
"Yet, you share O'Neill's memories, his feelings. Does that make things hard for you?" Kanan went on.  
  
Oh, you have no idea, thought Gallagher with a grimace. "Those memories are paying off this time around," he said.  
  
"Do you remember anything of Ba'al's fortress?" Kanan asked cautiously.  
  
"Not much," Gallagher admitted. "You had total control when we got there and you didn't have the decency to share anything with me," the last part was said between clenched teeth. He took a second to calm the anger that had flared up and continued, "My mind was so muddled by the sarcophagus when I found Shallan that I am not sure I could find my way out again."  
  
"Between the two of us, we should be able to figure it out," O'Neill said. Gallagher noticed that the General seemed to be a lot calmer and this helped Gallagher's mood tremendously. The animosity between the three men was melting away.  
  
"When were you cloned?" Kanan asked. "Why were you cloned?"  
  
What is this? Gallagher thought as he stared in amazement at the Tok'ra who had made his life miserable. "It happened after you, and a certain Asgard felt it was his duty to experiment on me without telling the rest of his race," he said, "and here I am."  
  
"What's done is done," O'Neill interrupted. "Now we make the best of this."  
  
Gallagher had to admit O'Neill was right; it's just that sometimes he had a hard time remembering it. At least he got a long vacation from the Academy, he thought, grateful for this opportunity.  
  
"Yes," Kanan agreed. "What's done is done." Gallagher knew Kanan was talking about his own transgressions against the General and himself.  
  
"What's done is done," the General repeated glaring at the Tok'ra. Apparently the fragile strands of the truce that had just been forged were threatening to break under the strain. Gallagher found himself silently wondering why Kanan's statement had bothered the General and not himself. The thought that they really were two different people with their own individual thoughts made him feel better about the whole clone thing. He would never admit it to the General, but he had a hard time with the whole issue himself.  
  
"Your understanding pleases me," Kanan said as he stood up. He turned to leave the room, but stopped and turned back toward them. "You both have a low opinion of the Tok'ra despite the fact that we are not Goa'ould," he told them. "The Tok'ra and the Tau'ri have the same common enemy, the same goals, yet you still think of us as 'snakes', something evil. I tried to understand your reasoning when we were one, but you were too sick to explain it to me."  
  
"The Go'uld have no qualms in destroying anyone who gets in their way and the Tok'ra are similar in that way," O'Neill said. "Look at the situation with you and Shallan. You used her and left her to deal with the aftermath. You would not have gone back for her if it hadn't been for me. Hell, if it had been left up to me, you wouldn't have left her there in the first place!"  
  
"A life, whether it is human or Tok'ra, or Goa'ould for that matter, is expendable," Kanan said. "The Tok'ra do not go out of their way to destroy a human life, but we also know that we can not save everyone. What was it that Gallagher said earlier? Life moves on. I have learned something from you, O'Neill. Perhaps you would call it compassion, but I find that I am more willing to consider the consequences my actions will have on others as I move through life. Whether this is a good thing or not has yet to be determined, but I will continue to do so as I fight the Goa'ould."  
  
Wow! Did that come from a snake, Gallagher wondered in amazement. He looked over at O'Neill who was staring at Kanan, apparently trying to decide what the punch line was going to be.  
  
Kanan turned and walked out, leaving the two men in shocked silence. Gallagher was still trying to process Kanan's statement when O'Neill spoke up.  
  
"Okay, what was that all about?" he said in an awed voice.  
  
"Damned if I know," Gallagher replied. "Do you think he was serious?"  
  
"Maybe," O'Neill said. "Time will tell I suppose."  
  
"Yeah," Gallagher agreed looking at the door the Tok'ra left through. "The Tok'ra are always full of surprises."  
  
"You got that right," O'Neill said. "I would have been totally disappointed if they didn't throw a surprise my way at least once during this trip."  
  
Gallagher just grinned at the General. "You know, when I first heard that the Tok'ra were coming to visit, I was relieved that it would be Carter who would have to deal with the surprises. Show's you what I know," he said.  
  
"I think it's because they like me," O'Neill replied. "Yeah, I'm a Tok'ra surprise magnet," he said grimacing.  
  
They sat in silence for a moment or two until Gallagher asked a question his earlier statement reminded him of. "I heard that you had the Ancient's information downloaded into your brain again. Wanna tell me what happened?"  
  
O'Neill looked at him in surprise, and then nodded. "Well see, it's like this…."


	8. Chapter 8

As always, thanks to Turtle D for making corrections and suggestions. I really do appreciate it!!

* * *

O'Neill could see the surface of the planet through the window of the cargo ship and felt a little uneasy as he thought about the fortress located there. It had only taken them three weeks to get there, but he was ready to get started on this. Three weeks of sheer boredom gave him plenty of opportunity to get ready for the mission.  
  
They had come up on the planet far from where the fortress was located hoping to hide from Ba'al's sensors as long as they could. They all knew that they had probably been seen the minute they entered the area, but they tried anyway.  
  
O'Neill stood behind the console in the control area with his hands bound in front of him. In their efforts to make things as realistic as possible, Jacob had tied O'Neill's hands tightly and the roughness of the material was rubbing the skin on his wrists raw. He knew this was the least of his worries, but he still tried to smile at Daniel as he came over to check the tightness.  
  
"You going to be okay, Jack?" Daniel asked with a look O'Neill had seen so many times before. Daniel was afraid for him and O'Neill really didn't need to see that right now. He wanted to see the Daniel who had visited him during his imprisonment the last time he was here. The calm, practical Daniel who kept him talking, kept him from dwelling on what Ba'al had done and what he would do to him the next time.  
  
"Yeah," he said, "I'll be alright. You and SG-1 will get me out of there before Ba'al knows what hit him, okay?" He had complete faith in his team.  
  
"Yes, we will," Carter said with conviction, as she came over to join them.  
  
"It's just that I hate it when you put yourself in harm's way," Daniel said. "One of these days you won't come out of it."  
  
"I don't always put myself in harm's way, that stuff just seems to find me no matter where I'm hiding out," O'Neill said defensively, "besides, it all boils down to someone having to do it. I just happen to be that someone."  
  
"You don't always have to be that someone," Daniel said. "Any one of us would take your place."  
  
"I know that Daniel and I really appreciate it. It has to be me this time, though," O'Neill said. "And we both know it."  
  
"We'll be there for you, sir," Carter said as her eyes stared into his. He knew what she was thinking, but he couldn't acknowledge her feelings anymore than he could acknowledge his own. The regulations pretty much destroyed any chance of that happening. O'Neill tried to shake off the emotions that were threatening to engulf him as he stared back at her. They had erected an invisible barrier between them, allowing only the glances and the slight innuendos to show through, but not the emotions or the words that would tell the world what they felt for each other.  
  
It was because of this barrier and the one dictated by the military regulations that O'Neill was able to let her go, for her to find happiness with another man. Pete seemed like a nice guy and Carter must be in love with him to want to marry him, it just caused another hurt that O'Neill would have to bury away in his heart. The bad part of Carter's relationship with Pete was that O'Neill just knew that letting her go was another regret waiting to happen.  
  
Regrets were something he refused to dwell on.  
  
"I'll be back," he said with a grin in his best 'Terminator' accent.  
  
Five minutes later, the show got underway and O'Neill waited anxiously as Ba'al's voice came over the communication device. "Identify yourself," he commanded.  
  
"I am Sal'trey," said Janun. "I wish to talk with you in regard to a barter."  
  
"What could you possibly have that I would want?" Ba'al replied.  
  
"O'Neill of the Tau'ri," Janun said. "I would like to trade him for a Ha'tak and several Death Gliders. He is worth more than that to you, is he not?"  
  
O'Neill squirmed as he waited for Ba'al's reply. It seemed a long time in coming and he noticed he wasn't the only one worrying. The others were all standing tensely.  
  
"Who else is with you?" Ba'al asked finally breaking the silence.  
  
"My First Prime," said Janun, "and my Jaffa. I ask that we be granted access to your fortress."  
  
The air shimmered in front of them and a hologram of Ba'al emerged. O'Neill was suddenly glad that the others had donned the clothing of Jaffa just in case this happened.  
  
The image of Ba'al looked around the control area until his eyes met those of O'Neill's. O'Neill stared back defiantly, telling Ba'al with his eyes and his posture that he was ready for a fight.  
  
"You have done well," Ba'al said turning to Janun. "I grant you and three of your Jaffa access to the fortress along with your prize."  
  
"What are you willing to trade for the Tau'ri," Janun asked.  
  
"We will discuss this when you arrive," Ba'al said dismissing them.  
  
"We will discuss this now," Janun demanded. "I will not come down there until I am assured my safety and that I will be richly compensated for my troubles."  
  
"How did you capture O'Neill?" Ba'al asked, apparently expecting Janun's refusal to divulge that information.  
  
"That is not important," Janun said. "It is enough that he is here."  
  
"A Ha'tak and four Death Gliders," Ba'al decreed with an air of finality.  
  
"Add three more Death Gliders and a dozen of your prototype soldiers and it will be a deal," Janun countered.  
  
"I could simply destroy your cargo ship with everyone aboard, including O'Neill, eliminating him for good," Ba'al threatened.  
  
"You want O'Neill alive," Janun said. "You will get no information from him if he is dead." That statement caused O'Neill to inwardly cringe. He knew first hand how Ba'al would try to extract that information.  
  
"A Ha'tak and seven Death Gliders," Ba'al responded. "I will not allow you to take any of my prototype soldiers."  
  
"Surely O'Neill is worth more than that," Janun argued.  
  
"I am being generous in granting you the mother ship," Ba'al snarled. "You would do well to accept the terms."  
  
O'Neill waited while Janun pretended to contemplate the offer. He was beginning to have second thoughts on this and he willed himself not to show it to anyone. He hadn't realized how scared he would be now that he was so close to Ba'al. He hadn't counted on this.  
  
"I accept," Janun replied and O'Neill closed his eyes against the feeling of doom sweeping over him.  
  
The hologram faded out and everyone relaxed. O'Neill could feel the tension leaving the room and hoped it would ease his own fears. He glanced back at his team and he saw Teal'c give him a nod that told him that he would not be alone.  
  
"Bring O'Neill to me," Ba'al demanded over the communication device.

* * *

It was really happening, Gallagher thought as he watched the hologram fade out. He saw O'Neill look back at them and he felt his heart swell with pride at how well the General handled it. To everyone else, O'Neill appeared to be cool, calm and collected, but Gallagher knew the General all too well. O'Neill was probably scared out of his mind and too damned stubborn to let it show.  
  
Gallagher had wanted to be one of the Jaffa to escort O'Neill to the surface, but Selmac insisted that it was better he and O'Neill went separately in the event their plan failed. He could then find his way in for a possible rescue mission. Gallagher could see the reasoning of this and agreed, but he still felt justified in grousing that this was from someone who wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place.  
  
He followed Janun and O'Neill into the cargo area and watched as Teal'c, Daniel and Kanan joined them. They gathered in the middle of the rings and waited for Carter to activate the device.  
  
"Good luck Jack," Gallagher called softly and O'Neill turned to acknowledge. They stared at each other for a few seconds, sharing their common fears and emotions until Carter activated the rings  
  
Gallagher was still trying to sort out his feelings a half hour later when the cargo ship pulled up alongside the mother ship Ba'al had provided.  
  
"You okay, Gallagher?" Carter asked, giving him a worried look.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he replied. No way was he going to admit the fact that he may have just experienced O'Neill's feelings, almost as if they were connected. He was worried enough about his sanity as it was, without having her think he had lost one too many marbles.  
  
Jacob maneuvered the cargo ship so that Gallagher and Carter could use the rings to enter the mother ship. Their job was to check out the ship to make sure Ba'al hadn't left any booby traps or things that would jump out at them after O'Neill was delivered to Ba'al. Carter thoroughly checked out everything, including the engines and the controls, while Gallagher scouted the entire ship for possible dangers such as stray Jaffa or the aforementioned booby traps.  
  
Ba'al must have decided to play it safe until he had a better grasp on things, because surprisingly, the ship was deemed safe by Carter. She opened the doors in the cargo hold for Jacob to bring the Tel'tak inside. They completed one more sweep of the ship to be absolutely sure they were safe, before Jacob made the call to Janun to inform him that the terms of the trade had been met.  
  
They waited until Janun, Kanan, Teal'c and Daniel were transported up before moving onto phase two of their plan. They immediately went to the control area where Jacob and Janun went to work steering the mother ship toward the fleet of ships they knew to belong to Nirrti. They eased in behind the fleet moving along the edge of it until they got a good view of the fortress. Once they were situated, Janun set about inputting the coordinates of the targets.  
  
"Nirrti has spotted us," Jacob said. "She is sending a message to Ba'al."  
  
Gallagher stood there with the others, waiting tersely for the message to come through. Jacob worked some controls on a panel to enable them to listen in, and then Nirrti's voice was heard.  
  
"I demand to speak to Lord Ba'al," she said arrogantly.  
  
"My Lord is unavailable," came the response.  
  
"He will speak to me. I wish to know why he is sending a Ha'tek toward my fleet," Nirrti demanded. "I asked for more than one. I will speak to him now."  
  
"Please wait while I ask if he will speak with you," Ba'al's Jaffa answered.  
  
It wasn't long before Nirrti got her answer, and she wasn't too pleased with it. "My Lord will speak with you later," Ba'al's Jaffa said over the communiqué.  
  
This was going better than they planned, Gallagher thought, almost too smoothly. He hoped that Ba'al would follow their plans, as well. Somehow, Gallagher didn't think he would.  
  
"I demand to speak with him," Nirrti said. "He will answer to this insult. Tell him I am transporting to the fortress now."  
  
"My Lord will not see you," the Jaffa said. "He is with a prisoner."  
  
"Oh my God!" Gallagher exclaimed. "O'Neill. Colonel, we have to do something now!" he said, starting to panic.  
  
"Wait," Jacob said holding up his hand.  
  
"I will contact you in one hour," Nirrti said. "Tell Lord Ba'al that I will meet with him then."  
  
The communication stopped and the silence in the room was filled with apprehension. Gallagher couldn't wait any longer, his fear threatening to swallow him whole. "Jacob," he growled.  
  
"Alright," Jacob said. "As O'Neill would say, let's get this show on the road."  
  
"It's about damned time," Gallagher said as he ran toward the transporter room followed closely by the rest of SG-1.


	9. Chapter 9

Special thanks go out to Turtle D who made some great suggestions and keeps me on my toes.

* * *

When they arrived at the fortress, O'Neill, Janun, Kanan, Teal'c and Daniel, the latter three dressed as Jaffa complete with face shields and staff weapons, were escorted from the rings to a room that O'Neill didn't recognize. Granted, no one gave him the grand tour when he had been there before, but he thought he would have been taken to a cell or the room where he had been tortured. The room they were led to now was empty except for a throne-like chair on which Ba'al was sitting.  
  
O'Neill was terrified, but he was damned if he'd let anyone else know that. He stood there with his features set in a mask, letting only the anger show through his eyes, glaring at Ba'al.  
  
Ba'al was pleased, O'Neill could tell by the look on his face. Janun moved closer to his prisoner when Ba'al got up and came closer.  
  
"The trade has been finalized," Ba'al said. "O'Neill now belongs to me." O'Neill really didn't like the look on the Go'uld's face, but he continued to stare at Ba'al in defiance.  
  
"When I receive word that my First Prime and Jaffa are aboard the mother ship you have supplied and the number of Death Gliders verified, you will have your prize," Janun said.  
  
"You risk a lot coming here," Ba'al said to Janun. "I could kill you rather than let you leave here."  
  
"I brought you O'Neill, I can bring you Carter, Jackson and the Shol'vah, Teal'c," Janun replied calmly. "Has anyone else accomplished this feat?"  
  
Ba'al said nothing, he just stared at Janun with an indecipherable look and O'Neill wondered what he was thinking. Janun had made an excellent point, one they had counted on to get out of this alive.  
  
It seemed to work, because Ba'al turned and walked back to the chair and sat down. The room was silent while they waited for Jacob to announce the success of their trade.  
  
O'Neill just wished this whole thing was over with. Ba'al was looking at him with interest and O'Neill was determined to spit in that asshole's face the first chance he got. Ba'al continued to stare at him, while O'Neill thought about breaking the silence. Common sense won over and he kept his silence.  
  
"I look forward to our talk, O'Neill," Ba'al said with an evil smile on his face.  
  
"Been awhile, hasn't it?" O'Neill replied. "Got lots of catching up to do. You know, Go'ulds we've destroyed, territories we've conquered, that sort of thing. How's the family?"  
  
"We both know this bravado will not last, O'Neill," Ba'al said calmly, the smile still in place. "It's only a matter of time."  
  
Damn him, O'Neill thought. "Not interested in the small talk?" he asked.  
  
"You will tell me what I am interested in hearing," Ba'al said with confidence.  
  
"I didn't the last time," O'Neill said and was pleased to see Ba'al's smile fade.  
  
"I am glad you remember the last time," Ba'al said. "It will make things easier. Much easier," he added with enthusiasm.  
  
O'Neill didn't answer, he just stood there and glared at his mortal enemy. Right then and there he resolved that it would be him who would personally destroy that scum sucking snake. He didn't know how or when, but it would be him.  
  
Ba'al continued to look at him with his evil sneer, but O'Neill refused to look away. It irritated him that the snakehead had accomplished what it set out to do – have O'Neill thinking of the agony he would be facing soon. O'Neill fought off the fears by focusing on his friends standing next to him, friends who would do anything to help him conquer his enemies.  
  
They stood there in silence waiting for the confirmation. It came too soon for his taste, O'Neill thought with disgust. He hated the terror that was threatening to engulf him.  
  
"My Lord," said the Jaffa who had just entered the room. "We have received a message from Sal'trey's First Prime."  
  
Ba'al activated the communication device in a panel on his chair and said, "Jaffa, kree! What have you to report?"  
  
"Lord Ba'al," Selmac's voice came out clearly. "I wish to make a report to my Lord Sal'trey."  
  
"I am here," Janun said. "Speak!" he demanded. O'Neill was glad that Ba'al had turned his attention to Janun.  
  
"We are aboard a mother ship," Selmac said, "and there are seven Death Gliders suitably equipped and capable of travel. Hyperdrive is intact."  
  
"Any signs of tampering?" Janun asked as he stared at Ba'al.  
  
"We checked everything, my Lord," Selmac replied.  
  
"Good," Janun said while still looking at Ba'al. "We will be transporting there shortly. Prepare for boarding."  
  
"As you wish, my Lord."  
  
Janun grabbed O'Neill's arm before telling Ba'al, "We will take our leave now. O'Neill will accompany us to the rings to ensure your compliance. Your Jaffa will join us, as well?"  
  
"Yes," Ba'al agreed, "as will I."  
  
O'Neill watched as the rings swept away his lifeline. Teal'c and Daniel would be coming back, but that thought didn't do a whole lot to calm his nerves. He was alone with Ba'al and he was having a rough time calming his fears.  
  
"Bring him," Ba'al demanded of his Jaffa. They each grabbed an arm and forced O'Neill to follow Ba'al. It wasn't long before he found himself in the room that had become a fixture in his nightmares.  
  
The Jaffa led him to the middle of the room and took his jacket, leaving his shirt on. They left him there with his back facing the wall that looked like a web. Ba'al activated the anti-gravity device and O'Neill felt himself being pulled to the wall. He noticed the Jaffa leave as he tried to steel himself for what was coming.  
  
This is not good, he thought. He had hoped he would be taken straight to a cell in order to give SG-1 time to get to him before any harm was done. Since when did Ba'al do anything right, he snarled to himself.  
  
The silence was unnerving him and O'Neill realized that Ba'al wanted this. He decided that he would just keep silent. Maybe Ba'al wouldn't do anything to him if he kept silent.  
  
Ba'al just didn't want to cooperate, O'Neill thought as Ba'al said, "What should I start with?"  
  
Asshole, O'Neill thought. "How about the family?" he said determined to hold onto the bravado as long as he could.  
  
"The weights? The acid?" Ba'al asked, his eyes never leaving O'Neill's. "Or should I use knives this time?"  
  
"I'll go with none of the above," O'Neill replied, the emotionless mask firmly in place, as he glared at his tormentor. He was afraid his expression would give away his fear, allowing Ba'al to identify what he hated the most. Hell, he hated them all the most.  
  
"We'll start with the Palt'nor," he said choosing a small pellet from the items he had available, "and move on from there."  
  
Jesus! O'Neill cringed inwardly. There goes any chance of him surviving this even if SG-1 were to burst in here within the next five minutes. Once the pellet broke open on his skin, it would release a slow acting poison that caused excruciating pain as it ate through tissues, nerves and finally his organs. Ba'al had used several other techniques of torture while the poison slowly turned his insides to mush and O'Neill knew that he was in for some major hell. Teal'c, he called out silently.  
  
"What is the code to open the Stargate's iris on your world?" Ba'al asked.  
  
Yes! O'Neill thought, an easy one. Maybe he can stall the son of a bitch. "No code, it's programmed to recognize palm prints."  
  
Ba'al didn't say anything and O'Neill silently prayed he was happy with the answer. Please, God.  
  
"Where is the Tok'ra home world?" Ba'al asked, apparently accepting O'Neill's answer.  
  
Well damn, so much for the easy questions, O'Neill grimaced. "I don't know, but hey, I can find out for you. Let's go to the Stargate, so I can ask."  
  
Ba'al liked that answer, O'Neill could tell because the evil smile was back. Oh God, no! Ba'al was aiming the pellet all the while staring at O'Neill with an evil gleam in his eyes. Carter, he raged silently, where are you guys?  
  
He didn't make a sound when the pellet hit, even though he could feel the wetness of the poison as the pellet broke open, eating through his shirt and through the skin. He watched as Ba'al gloated, both knowing it wouldn't be long now before O'Neill would be screaming. Damn that evil bastard!  
  
"Let's try this again," Ba'al said, picking up a knife.  
  
"My Lord," a Jaffe said, entering the room and dropping to his knees. O'Neill sent up silent thanks for this interruption.  
  
"Speak," Ba'al demanded, still watching O'Neill.  
  
"Nirrti demands an audience, my Lord," the Jaffa said while still kneeling.  
  
"Nirrti can wait," Ba'al announced.  
  
"Yes, my Lord," the Jaffa answered after a moment's hesitation. Apparently, the Jaffe decided not to argue, preferring to face Nirrti's wrath over Ba'al's. He rose and left the room and O'Neill wanted to call him back. Ba'al's attention was back on him.  
  
"Where is the Tok'ra home world?" he asked again.  
  
"I don't know," O'Neill repeated. "If I knew I would tell you. I don't owe the Tok'ra anything!" It didn't even matter now what Ba'al did to him, he realized. Damn, why did he have to start with the poison?  
  
Ba'al let go of the knife and O'Neill felt the pain as the blade punctured his shoulder. He was already starting to feel the affects of the poison as the skin burned where it landed and this just added to his discomfort.  
  
"Where is the Tok'ra home world," Ba'al said again and O'Neill decided to resort to lies in order to stall the torture.  
  
"Look, the Tok'ra are a little pissed with us right now," he said. "They blame us for a lot of deaths and are probably afraid we will attack if they tell us where they are located. I, personally, haven't spoken to a Tok'ra for months now."  
  
"I see," said Ba'al and O'Neill had the feeling that Ba'al was now lying to him. "Tell me, how were you captured?" Ba'al asked as he let go of another knife.  
  
O'Neill grunted as the knife pierced his arm. This is so not going well, he thought as he tried to conquer the agony that was spreading through his chest. The ache caused by the knives couldn't even compare to the pain in his chest, as the poison ate through blood vessels and muscles, heading for his lungs. He knew from experience the agony he would go through when that happened. The effort to breathe would cause him to use the muscles that the poison was destroying and he did not look forward to it.  
  
"Tell me," Ba'al said just before an explosion erupted in another part of the fortress, causing him to stumble.  
  
"My Lord, Nirrti attacks!" the Jaffa announced, as he broke into the room.  
  
"She dares attack me," Ba'al growled as his eyes glowed. He stalked out of the room totally forgetting O'Neill, leaving him glued to the wall to wait for certain death.  
  
O'Neill had different plans, however, and he wondered if it was worth it. Without a sarcophagus he was as good as dead. But, maybe the Tok'ra healing device could rid him of this stuff, he thought as his hopes rose.  
  
He knew that NIrrti had not been the one to initiate the attack. The Tok'ra and the Tau'ri had three weeks in which to lay down a plan and it seemed that it was working so far. The mother ship Ba'al would ultimately give them would maneuver to blend in with Nirrti's fleet and attack 'in her name', then get while the getting was good. They would then contact Ba'al to offer their assistance in order to improve future trade relations, while in reality they waited for SG-1 and O'Neill to transport up to the Tok'ra ship. In the meantime, they would just let Ba'al destroy Nirrti or they would kill each other. O'Neill fervently hoped for the latter.  
  
It was a good plan and now all O'Neill had to do was wait for SG-1. Let it be soon, he thought as the agony in his chest increased.

* * *

SG-1 transported to the fortress via the rings as soon as the Tok'ra had established that it was safe for them to do so. Kanan was with them because he knew the layout of the fortress better than anyone. He led the way, with Carter following close behind him. Gallagher took the rear behind Daniel and Teal'c and he kept his P-90 handy, ready to destroy anything that got in the way of his mission. Daniel, Teal'c and Kanan had abandoned their face shields before coming to the planet this time around, but Teal'c and Kanan had kept their staff weapons.  
  
They ran across several Jaffa, but were able to get past them without too much difficulty, their weapons blazing. Another explosion roared close by causing them all to fall to the floor. They heard the sounds of Jaffa heading their way and Gallagher got up to scramble toward a recess in the wall where he could find protection from incoming staff weapon blasts. He reached out and grabbed Daniel to pull him in with him, while the others found their own recesses and when the Jaffa came around a corner a gun fight ensued. Carter got one of the first ones before looking over at Gallagher to signal him to get the ones on the left. They were able to neutralize that particular threat and moved on, following Kanan down a corridor that was lined with doors. Gallagher recognized this hallway and he took the lead, taking them to where a hallway led off to the right at a place where the hallway they were in curved to the left.  
  
"Down here," he whispered, as he led the way. The sounds of battle were all around them, but Gallagher knew the General wasn't too far from them now, unless they took him to a cell after the initial attack. One thing at a time, he told himself.  
  
He stopped at a door near the end of the hall and held up his hand to signal the rest to stop. He put his ear to the door, listening for anything to tell him what was going on in the room. He heard nothing, so he put his back up against the wall, with one hand on the mechanism that would allow him to open the door. He waited for Carter to nod at him to signal she was ready, and then he opened the door.  
  
Carter went in first as Teal'c and Daniel covered her. Kanan stayed in the hallway, to keep watch and Gallagher followed Carter into the room, with Daniel and Teal'c coming in after him. They did a sweep of the room with their eyes and guns, but the only one in the room was O'Neill, who was hanging on the wall, knives sticking out of his chest and arm.  
  
"What took you so long?" O'Neill complained.  
  
Teal'c started to go to the General, but O'Neill was having none of that. "No," he yelled with difficulty. "Stay back. All I need is for a gigantic Jaffa to come smashing into me. Gallagher, turn that gravity thing off, will ya?"  
  
Gallagher nodded and went to the panel situated in the middle of the room, the one where Ba'al kept all his toys. He tried not to think about what those toys did to him when he was here last, as he searched for a button to turn the gravity off.  
  
"There are three switches here," he said looking at O'Neill with dread. He just knew one of those switches would release the wall instead, sending O'Neill to a certain death. He didn't think they would have time to take him to the sarcophagus.  
  
"Let me see," Carter said, approaching him. "What do these switches control?" she asked when she got there.  
  
"One of them will open the wall and send the General to a very painful landing," Gallagher said. "Broke every bone in my body the last time Ba'al used it."  
  
Carter looked at Gallagher, her eyes wide as she stared at him. He knew she was as scared as he was, and neither one wanted to make the decision.  
  
"Just pick one," O'Neill said in obvious pain. "I'm dead anyway. Ba'al started this session with the partner poison thingy."  
  
"Jesus," Gallagher said as he stared at O'Neill with wide eyes.  
  
"What's this partner poison thingy?" Carter asked fearfully.  
  
"Palt'nor," Teal'c explained. "It is a slow acting poison that destroys everything it touches, blood vessels, muscles and organs. It is quite painful and there is no antidote."  
  
"Gallagher, just hit one of those switches and get this over with," O'Neill said. "Now Cadet!"  
  
Gallagher nodded and put his finger on one of the switches and after a moment's hesitation flipped it.  
  
The lights went off.  
  
He hit it again as he heard O'Neill grumbling something about idiots, and the lights came back on. He gave the General a sheepish look before flipping the next one. O'Neill fell to the floor and Gallagher heard Carter let go of the breath she was holding.  
  
They all ran to where O'Neill laid in a heap on the floor. Teal'c pulled out the knives and applied pressure to the wounds while Daniel examined the hole in his shirt where the poison had started its damage.  
  
"General, sir," Carter said as she got down on her knees to get a better look at him. "We need to get you out of here, can you walk?"  
  
"Yes," O'Neill said relying on Teal'c to help him up. He swayed, but stayed on his feet. They all headed for the door, Teal'c still supporting O'Neill while Daniel called out softly to Kanan. Gallagher heard Kanan say something softly to Daniel and he waved at them to tell them the coast was clear.  
  
Once they were out in the hallway, Kanan took the lead and they headed back the way they came. They were looking for the rings and Carter used her radio to let Jacob know they were on their way and to be ready.  
  
The trip back through the fortress was a little easier as most of Ba'al's Jaffa were busy defending the complex. They still ran into a few groups, but managed to avoid being seen by them.  
  
They had almost made it to the rings when another explosion rocked the building and the ceiling threatened to fall on their heads. Gallagher rushed to help Teal'c drag O'Neill out of there and they all ran to avoid the collapse of the structure.  
  
Carter wasn't fast enough and she fell as a beam landed on her. Teal'c and Gallagher let go of O'Neill to help Daniel pull the beam off of her. She was unconscious, so Kanan picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and turned to leave. Gallagher went back to the General to help him, but noticed that O'Neill was sweating and in extreme pain. "General," he said gently, "are you going to make it?"  
  
"No," O'Neill whispered. "I think you are just dragging me off to die on the mother ship instead of here."  
  
"We'll find a way," Gallagher promised. "The healing device has been known to work wonders."  
  
"Yep," O'Neill said as he tried to pull himself up using Gallagher's arm. He didn't make it. "God," he groaned, as he fell back to the floor squeezing his eyes shut.  
  
"Come on Jack," Gallagher urged. "It's not too far now. Just stay with me until we get you to the Tok'ra mother ship. Come on."  
  
He and Teal'c each took an arm and dragged O'Neill along. They heard voices as they neared the rings and noticed several Jaffa were already there. The members of SG-1 had to wait until the coast was clear and Gallagher worried about both O'Neill and Carter as he waited, then began to worry about them all when he heard Ba'al's voice telling the Jaffa to go get O'Neill and bring him to the transporter. Great, he thought. Now what?


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note: Thanks to Magda, Jessica and Megan for their invaluable advice, and special thanks go to Diane for catching my mistakes.

* * *

Breathing was difficult for O'Neill and the pain in his chest and his stomach where the poison had spread was excruciating. He had been hoping that Gallagher would hit the switch that would stop his agony at the end of a long tunnel, but no such luck. And now he had to wait for Ba'al's Jaffa to come back with the news that the prisoner wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Another explosion rocked the fortress, this time farther away from where they were and Ba'al issued another order in Goa'uld. He heard the sounds of the rings being activated and O'Neill waited as Daniel stuck his head around the corner of the door to find out what happened.

"They're gone," Daniel whispered, "well, except for one Jaffa. I suppose he isn't too happy that he has to wait for you to show up," he said to O'Neill.

Teal'c took the initiative to eliminate that particular threat, then returned to grab O'Neill to drag him over to the rings, while Daniel put a call in to Jacob over the radio.

"Jacob, you there?" he asked. "We're ready to come aboard."

"Give me just a minute," Jacob said. "Just let me get rid of this pesky Death Glider that is trying to take us out."

"Hurry!" Daniel yelled into the radio. "Jacob!" he pleaded, a few minutes later.

"Okay, already," Jacob said. "I'm in place. Come on up."

O'Neill found himself leaning on Teal'c as the rings activated. Teal'c immediately helped him lay down once they were in the mother ship.

"Get us out of here, Jacob," Gallagher ordered through his radio, as he bent over O'Neill.

There was a flurry of movement as the others sprang into action. O'Neill tried not to dwell on his pain and his worries as his people immediately went to work, moving both him and Carter to a room that was equipped with beds, with Kanan helping where he could.

Jacob came in the room as they were getting settled and headed straight for Carter. O'Neill had to know what was going on.

"Carter okay?" he asked Daniel.

"Yes Jack, she's going to be fine," Daniel replied. "You, on the other hand... well, we're going to have to do something about you now, aren't we?"

"What happened?" Jacob asked, his concern for his daughter showing in his eyes.

"There was an explosion and part of the building collapsed on us," Teal'c explained. "Colonel Carter was struck by a fallen beam and she has been unconscious since then."

"Jack's in worse shape, I think," Daniel said. "Ba'al poisoned him."

"What?" Jacob asked, leaving his daughter's side to check on O'Neill. O'Neill knew he probably looked terrible, but he didn't really care at that moment. He just wanted the pain to go away. He knew the poison had spread to other areas of his body and it was burning and tearing every single inch of him.

"Palt'nor," Daniel said looking at Jacob. "Have you heard of it?"

"Oh God," Jacob said as he looked at O'Neill in horror. The ship vibrated as it was hit at that moment and O'Neill cursed as the movement caused him considerably more pain.

"I will go assist Janun," Teal'c took that opportunity to say. "Perhaps we can help Ba'al defeat Nirrti."

"You mean you will 'definitely' help Ba'al defeat Nirrti, don't you Teal'c?" Gallagher butt in, and gave O'Neill a grin as the Jaffa nodded before leaving the room.

"Dad?" Carter moaned. O'Neill tried to look over at her, but every movement was getting to be too much for him.

"There is no cure for that poison," Kanan said.

"Hey, at least Ba'al isn't throwing acid at me while this stuff is eating away at me," O'Neill said weakly, trying to show this wasn't affecting him as badly as it really was.

"What about the healing device," Gallagher asked, "can't you use that?"

"It will not purge the poison out of his system," Kanan replied.

"Yes, but you could cure the damage it has done, can't you?" Gallagher pleaded. "How long will the poison stay in his system?"

"It would take considerable time, possibly many treatments," Kanan said. "It may not work."

"But it could work, right?" Daniel asked. O'Neill couldn't find the energy to speak even if he wanted to. He just lay there, dealing with the pain as best he could while his team did whatever they needed to do to get him out of this.

"It's worth a try," Jacob cut in. "The poison will eventually leave his system, we just need to deal with the damage until it does."

"I will do it," Kanan volunteered, before turning to leave the room, hopefully to get the healing device, O'Neill thought. He was tired of the pain.

"I'll take over when you're tired," Jacob said, "and Janun can help, as well," he called after the departing Tok'ra.

"I can be a part of this tag team," Carter added. She had moved closer to them to discuss his treatment causing O'Neill to worry about her all over again.

"After we take care of your wounds," Jacob said, turning to her and giving her a hug. "You won't do him any good if you fall over in the middle of it," he said with a smile.

Kanan returned just then with the healing device and O'Neill watched him as the device was fitted in his palm. He put his hand out over O'Neill's chest and the object glowed as Kanan willed it to heal the abused body. O'Neill waited for the device to do its job and was relieved to feel the pain lessen in his chest. He couldn't fully relax, but he knew it wouldn't be long before he could breathe easier again when the lungs were repaired.

O'Neill watched as the snake he'd hated for years concentrate on healing his damaged body, and he was suddenly glad they'd had that talk on the cargo ship a few weeks back. It made it easier to realize now that Kanan was no longer the enemy, probably never had been.

Once the pain in his chest was gone, Kanan stepped back to get his bearings. Jacob leaned over O'Neill and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better thanks," O'Neill said, tiredly. "I hate to sound ungrateful or anything, but do you think you could now take care of whatever it is the poison destroyed in my gut?"

Jacob grinned at him and turned to take the healing device from Kanan. "Okay, but I want to take care of Sam here as soon as I am done with you," he said.

"Take care of her first," O'Neill said. "I can wait." No way he was going to let her suffer to ease his own pain.

"You first Jack," Jacob insisted. "We don't know how badly you are hurt. Besides, we are going to need your help to tell us where it hurts until the poison is totally gone from your system. It'll be easier for you to tell us if you aren't unconscious."

O'Neill didn't argue and closed his eyes as he felt the warmth of the healing device seep into his stomach. He knew Jacob was right; it was just so hard to put himself in front of his team. He opened his eyes again and found he was looking at Kanan, who was staring back at him. "Thank you," O'Neill said. "You saved me once again."

Kanan nodded his head, but didn't move or say anything. O'Neill remembered the Tok'ra's words from that day on the cargo ship and he realized that Kanan did mean what he'd said.

* * *

Gallagher watched with relief as Kanan held the healing device over O'Neill's body. The glow of the device seemed to be working its magic in more ways than one. Kanan had healed his body when he was dying of the virus he'd contracted in Antartica, and was doing it again now. Well technically, O'Neill's body wasn't his anymore, he corrected himself. To put it precisely, Kanan had healed O'Neill's body back then and was healing him now, and..., damn. He hated it when he got confused like this.

The important thing was that O'Neill was going to live, he just knew it. The device was working on the damage done by the poison and all they needed to do was keep it up until the poison was totally out of his system.

Jacob took over when Kanan stepped back, and Gallagher saw that O'Neill was looking a lot better. This didn't relieve the guilt Gallagher was experiencing at that moment, but it did ease his mind. He knew from experience the agony O'Neill was going through and Gallagher wrestled with his conscious as he thought about how glad he was that it wasn't him lying on that bed.

"Gallagher," Carter said softly, putting her hand on his arm. "He's going to be alright."

"Yes, ma'am," Gallagher replied. She was staring at him with a look of concern and he felt a sudden desire to get out of there. The guilt was building up in him, threatening to suffocate him and Carter's concern was making it worse.

"Gallagher?" she said worriedly.

"Ma'am?" he asked, trying to ignore the alarms going off in his mind. He was not going to let her in to see his guilt. He erased the emotions from his face and started looking for an easy way out.

"We made it out; the General is going to live, why the worried face?"

"I won't feel comfortable until we are out of this area," he lied, "permission to go see if I can be of help to Teal'c and Janun, ma'am?"

"No," she said, causing Gallagher to curse inwardly. "Come over here and sit with me for a minute. I think now is a good time to talk."

She led him over to a bed on the far side of the room and sat down waiting for him to do the same. He sat down beside her and stared out at nothing, wishing he was away from there. He looked over at Jacob and noticed that he was finished with the treatment and had slumped in a chair next to O'Neill's bed.

"Colonel Carter," Teal'c's voice called out over the radio, "It appears that Nirrti is retreating. Ba'al has defeated her fleet and she is on the move."

Kanan and Jacob both jumped at that and headed for the door. "Sam," Jacob said as he reached the door, will you stay with Jack? Let me know if his condition gets worse, okay?"

"Wait, I'll come with you," she said, getting up to follow them.

"No," Jacob said. "You need your rest. Stay here and keep an eye on Jack. He's sleeping right now. I'll keep you informed and will be back down here to heal you when it's all over."

"Dad," she whined, but Jacob just glared at her before leaving the room. "Stay here," he said.

Gallagher was torn between just leaving to follow the rest or stay and face Carter's attempts at getting through to him. He wasn't even sure why she wanted this talk, but he knew better than to go against her wishes, especially after she refused his request for permission to leave.

He saw her nod at Daniel, who took the hint and suddenly decided they may be able to use his help in the control room. He left them alone; causing Gallagher to send a glare toward the door Daniel went through.

They sat there in silence and Gallagher wondered what was bothering her. She was the one who wanted to talk; now she obviously didn't have a thing to say.

He took advantage of her silence to work out his feelings. He was glad that O'Neill was alive, no doubt about that, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it should have been him that went through all that. He had never allowed anyone he cared about to put themselves in danger, and yet here he was waiting for his other self to survive an ordeal that he should gone through himself. He was a lot younger in body, if not in spirit, and it should have been him.

"Gallagher," Carter finally broke the silence. "What's wrong? Tell me why you look like we just lost a major battle."

"Nothing's wrong, ma'am," he insisted.

"You look so young," she said, surprising Gallagher so much that he finally turned to look at her. "It's hard to remember that you are a seasoned, battle-worn warrior with years and years of experience as a fighter. I look at you and think I have to protect you, only to be surprised when I realize you don't need it."

Gallagher didn't know how to respond to that. He continued to look at her, trying to figure out where this conversation was going and came up with a blank wall. If she would just quit switching gears on him.

"We've worked together for a long time and I am grateful for all that you've taught me, but I look at you and all I see is a young cadet."

"Stop, just... stop," Gallagher said, closing his eyes and waving his hand in her face. "This is all too confusing. Just stick to one subject, okay?"

She smiled at him before nodding her head. "Okay," she said. "Even though you don't need me to protect you, I still want to help you. Will you talk to me about this? Please?"

"About what?" he said, still confused.

"The General is going to live, he has to," she said, her eyes taking on a haunted look. "He will," she said again with conviction.

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed.

"He had to do this, you know," she said as her eyes searched his face.

Gallagher couldn't respond. She knew what the problem was, he could tell. She was just waiting to hear it from him. Damn, he didn't need this right now.

"Gallagher, if it were the other way around, General O'Neill would be thinking the same thing you're thinking. He has done this in the past, so please don't try to hide it from me."

"Hide what, ma'am?" It didn't hurt to try to act the innocent.

"Blaming yourself for not taking his place," she said plainly. "You're thinking it should be you lying there, instead of the General, aren't you?"

Gallagher looked away from her searching eyes in order to keep from showing her his anger. How dare she try to analyze him, he thought viciously. She had no right!

She put her hand on his arm and he pulled away from her touch. He didn't need her sympathy or her self-righteous attitude; he just wanted to get out of there. His actions hurt her, he could tell, but he didn't particularly care at that moment. He continued to sit there next to her glaring at the wall he was facing, hoping she would just get up and leave him alone.

"Please talk to me," she said softly.

"Is that an order, ma'am?" he asked.

"No," she said finally. "It's not your fault, Gallagher. You should know the General better than anybody here. He would not have let you take his place no matter what."

Gallagher wanted to tell her that he knew that better than anyone, but he didn't. Instead he sat there staring at the wall, grateful for her understanding, but he found himself wondering if she would be so understanding if she knew his deepest secret.

He turned to look at her and was surprised to see sadness in her eyes. This was not good, he thought. "The real reason I feel like such a heel is that... well, the worst part is that I'm glad it was him and not me," he admitted, hoping it would make her mad enough to forget her fears.

His statement didn't have the affect he was aiming for, instead it caused a few tears to appear and she stared at him through those tears, bringing more guilt down on his head.

"Colonel, please don't do that," he pleaded. "This is so not good for the morale, you know."

"I'm sorry, it's just that when I saw him stuck to that wall, knives sticking out of him, it just brought back the guilt I have harbored all these years. If I hadn't convinced him to allow Kanan to heal him, he wouldn't have been tortured by Ba'al in the first place," she said, angrily swiping at the tears on her cheek."

"If you hadn't convinced him, he wouldn't even be here." Gallagher said. "I would not be here. You did the right thing, Colonel, don't you ever doubt it again."

He finally got a grin out of her and she said, "Is that an order, Cadet?"

"No ma'am," he rushed to say, grinning back at her, "I wouldn't dream of giving you an order, ma'am."

They were quiet for a few moments. "He's in a lot of pain," Carter said as she stared at O'Neill. "I don't blame you for not wanting to be in his shoes right now."

"It should have been me," Gallagher burst out angrily. "He didn't have to go through that again. He's getting too old to deal with that shit."

"Gallagher, will you make up your mind?" Carter said, smiling sadly at him. "Are you glad it was him or do you wish it was you?"

"Both," he said, smiling back at her. He was feeling better about this already. Now if he could just return the favor. "You did the right thing, you know. I would have done the same for you."

She gave him a brilliant smile and Gallagher didn't even think about what he was doing, he just grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, and they stayed like that for a few moments gathering strength and forgiveness from each other.

She pulled back and gave him a small smile. "Thank you for helping me," she said.

"No, thank you for understanding," Gallagher replied.

Silence fell over the room as they watched each other. Gallagher was thinking of his feelings for her and wanted to tell her he had moved on, but wasn't sure it was the right thing to say, so he stayed quiet. She was so beautiful.

"Gallagher," Carter began, "I look at you and see a younger man, a different man."

"I know," he said as he nodded.

"You are him, but you're not."

"I know," he repeated, as a smile grew on his lips.

"Good," she said, smiling back at him.

"You two ever going to get together?" he asked.

"That's none of your business, Cadet," she said, still smiling at him.

"I was just wondering if you were going to be related to me somehow."

"I've been seeing someone else," she finally admitted. "He's a cop and he's asked me to marry him."

Whoa! He had heard rumors to that effect, but didn't think it was serious. He knew how Sam felt about O'Neill, but then maybe she figured she wasn't getting any younger. He had to give her up, but it just didn't seem right that O'Neill had to, as well.

"I suppose it was inevitable," he said to her, the double meaning evident only to him.

"Yeah," she said with a shrug.

"Colonel, I hope you don't mind me telling you this, but I know for a fact that he loves you," Gallagher said hoping to help his counterpart somehow. "He will never tell you, it's not his way, but since I am not him anymore, well... let's just say I have no qualms in telling you this."

He didn't know what to expect from his statement, but he was still surprised when she gave him a smile and told him simply, "I know."

"So why marry this other guy?"

"I can't wait around forever, and I really do care a lot for Pete," she said as she turned to stare at the wall Gallagher glared at earlier.

"You love O'Neill, though, don't you?" Gallagher pressed.

She didn't answer him, just stared at the wall before jumping up and walking over to check on O'Neill. Gallagher got up and joined her at the General's bedside. He was still asleep, but he was pale and this worried both Gallagher and Carter. She reached out to feel his forehead and jerked her hand back as if burned.

"He's burning up!" she exclaimed as she reached for the healing device.


	11. Chapter 11

His chest was burning and he coughed as his lungs struggled to allow him to breathe. His body was under attack again, so he just laid there with his eyes closed waiting for the end.

"Jack," someone called to him. "Are you awake? Jack?"

"His lungs are failing him again," a woman said, as he felt something brush against his lips. "He's coughing up blood."

"Can you do something for him?" asked the man O'Neill identified as Gallagher. He tried to open his eyes, but he was just too weak and couldn't find the strength.

He knew relief when he felt the warmth seeping into his chest, as he realized that someone was using the healing device on him again. He tried to relax to let the device do its job, but the agony hadn't completely left his body and it took too much energy to even try to relax, so he laid there tensely until the warmth left him, the pain still running through him, although not as badly as before.

He tried to open his eyes again and was glad to find that he was able to. The first thing he saw was Gallagher leaning over somebody else and he remembered the woman's voice. "Carter!" he said, struggling to get up.

"No, Jack, lay back down," Gallagher said as he pushed him back to the bed. "Don't move yet, I don't think she was able to finish the job."

"How is she?" O'Neill whispered. The effort it took to get up had weakened him considerably.

"She probably shouldn't have been the one to help you, considering her own problems," Gallagher replied, "but she was the only one around that could even begin to try."

"Is she going to be okay?" O'Neill asked again. He was starting to get pissed here.

"Yes, she is," Gallagher rushed to assure him. Carter took that opportunity to approach the bed to prove him right.

"How are you feeling, sir?" she asked with concern in her eyes. She was wavering slightly, which caused her to quickly sit down on the bed. "I couldn't hold on, sir. I'm sorry."

"I'll get Jacob or one of the other Tok'ra to come help," Gallagher said. "You two just try to relax until they get here."

"No, I'm fine, really I am," Carter said, getting up to try again.

"With all due respect, ma'am, you're lying through your teeth," Gallagher said as he forced her to sit back down on O'Neill's bed. "Just sit here for a little bit, okay?"

Those words angered Carter, causing O'Neill to chuckle as he saw the look on her face. The chuckle turned into a groan as the movement caused even more pain. "Oh man, that hurts," he said, bringing Carter's attention back to him. "Hurts to laugh," he muttered.

"Dad?" Carter said into her radio, her eyes boring into O'Neill's. "The General's coughing up blood and I wasn't able to help him out very much. Can you send someone down here?"

"Sam? What did you do? Did you try to heal him?" Jacob's response came over loud and clear. "Didn't I tell you that you were not well enough to even try? Are you okay? Janun's on his way."

"Yes, to all your questions Dad," Carter said. "And thanks for sending Janun."

"What were you thinking?" Jacob continued to interrogate her over the radio. "You are still suffering from a head wound; possibly a concussion and you go and try to heal.... Sam, so help me," he threatened.

"I love you too, Daddy," she said sweetly as she grinned at O'Neill and Gallagher. O'Neill could just picture Jacob's grin as he did whatever it was he was doing up there.

"Okay, tell me where it hurts," Carter said, "and don't try to play the macho man with me on this. Your life is at stake here and we need to know every detail."

"It hurts to breathe," O'Neill grumbled. She must have been taking lessons from Janet Fraiser. "There is some pain in my arms, particularly my right arm and I think the poison is headed for my head because my throat is starting to hurt."

"Give me the device, Colonel Carter," Janun requested. He must have heard O'Neill's complaints as he immediately held the device over his upper chest to try to heal as much as he could. O'Neill once again felt the warmth seep through him and he closed his eyes to wait for the relief. It came slowly this time around, but he did finally feel the pain disappear as he felt himself falling asleep.

* * *

Nirrti was on the run and the Tok'ra, along with the Tau'ri, were determined to keep her from getting away. Gallagher had decided to take a break from hovering over O'Neill and left him in the capable hands of Carter. He hated sitting around waiting, doing nothing, he needed to keep occupied. Promising her he would send Daniel to relieve her, Gallagher made his way to the control room. 

The first thing he saw when got there was the scene outside the window. Death Gliders were swarming through space, shooting at each other and at the mother ships of their opponents. Janun had joined the others in the control room and was communication with Ba'al, telling him that he would be willing to help him if he so wished it. Ba'al, being a typical Goa'uld, denied that he needed help from anyone, but of course he did say he wouldn't mind if he opposed Nirrti on his own.

Gallagher saw Daniel standing to one side of the room. In an effort to stay out of everyone's way, he walked over to join him asking, "What's happening?"

"Nirrti is trying to leave the area, but Ba'al has other plans for her," Daniel replied. "I suppose he's going to make an example of her. Selmac has been monitoring their communications and it looks like Nirrti is blaming Ba'al for the attack, while he is blaming her, and both have pretty much forgotten about us."

"That's what we were hoping for, wasn't it?" Gallagher asked.

"Yeah, but it just seemed so easy. Everything is falling into place perfectly and I guess I'm just worried about that," Daniel said with a frown.

"Jack would tell you that not everything went perfectly," Gallagher said quietly, his thoughts going back to his counterpart.

Daniel nodded his head sadly, but didn't respond. They both stood there quietly, lost in their own thoughts while the others watched the battle raging outside the window.

"I wish I could have taken his place this time," Daniel said, as he turned to look at Gallagher.

"I know the feeling, probably better than you do," Gallagher replied, as he nodded his head. "I know what drives him and what makes him do these things, but I am on the outside looking in right now and all I want to do is punch his lights out for doing this stuff."

Daniel's grin surprised Gallagher, because he was being serious. He smiled right back at him though, glad that they were able to relate to each other.

"Carter wants you to go down there to watch over Jack, while she comes up here to help out. I promised her I would send you back down there as soon as I saw you," Gallagher told him.

"I'm on my way," Daniel said, turning to leave. "You okay?" he asked as an afterthought, his expression showing his concern.

"Yeah, I am," Gallagher responded. "Thanks."

Daniel gave him one last look, then left to go give Carter a reason to be up here where the action was.

Gallagher turned to watch the battle, which seemed to be tapering off. Selmac was talking to someone over the communication device and Gallagher caught the tail end of the conversation.

"...ready to transport you at any time. Send a signal when you are ready."

"Wait a minute," Gallagher said worriedly. "Who are you talking to? Don't tell me you invited Ba'al up for a visit." What was going on here?

"We had an operative on Nirrti's Ha'tak," Selmac said. "We will be transporting her here before Ba'al destroys the ship."

Gallagher nodded in understanding as he continued to watch the battle. "Should we launch a couple of Death Gliders to help defeat Nirrti?" he asked. "God!" he exclaimed as his eyes widened. "I can't believe I just said that! Imagine me, wanting to help Ba'al." The whole idea defied logic, he thought, as he started to worry about his sanity again.

"I believe that would be a step in the right direction," Teal'c agreed. "Ba'al may choose to leave us alone if we assist him. I will pilot one of the Death Gliders."

"So will I," Gallagher volunteered. "I want it known that I am not doing this to help Ba'al out though," he assured them. "I am merely helping to get rid of Nirrti. That's all."

"C'mon Jack," Jacob goaded. "We all know why you really want to do this. How long has it been since you've flown anything?"

"Three years too many," Gallagher said disgustedly, as a signal came through the Tok'ra communication device.

Janun ran from the room to meet his comrade at the transportation rings, passing Carter as she walked in. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're bringing up the Tok'ra operative from Nirrti's ship," Jacob replied, "and those two," he pointed at Gallagher and Teal'c, "are planning to take a couple of the Death Gliders out for a ride to help Ba'al out." This last remark was aimed at Gallagher, who promptly glowered at Jacob.

"How's Jack?" Jacob continued, as he grinned at Gallagher.

"He's still sleeping, but he is definitely going to need us there full-time. I'm glad that we have another Tok'ra who can help us heal the damage," she said, clearly still worried about the General.

"He will survive this," Teal'c said with conviction. "Of that, I have no doubt."

Gallagher was raring to go, "C'mon, Teal'c, Let's go kick some Goa'uld ass!"

The Death Gliders were completely operational and Gallagher was in his glory as he maneuvered one of them out of the Ha'tak. This was one of the reasons he re-joined the Air Force. He loved to fly, and although he didn't have too many chances to do so while he was with the SGC, the opportunity did present itself once in awhile. He pushed away the memory of being stranded on a ship, along with Teal'c, and brought his thoughts back to the present mission - to destroy Nirrti.

He followed Teal'c as they flew toward Nirrti's fledgling fleet. She only had a handful of Death Gliders left and they were valiantly trying to defend Nirrti's mother ship, failing miserably in their attempts. Ba'al's forces were just too strong for Nirrti and she knew it. She tried to leave the area, only to be stopped by Ba'al's Death Gliders, as they fired their weapons.

Gallagher and Teal'c guided their ships closer to the Goa'uld's mother ship. One of Nirrti's Death Gliders saw them, turned and opened fired. The blast missed as Gallagher dodged it. He turned his ship around toward the Death Glider and fired his own weapon, destroying it. "Yes!" he yelled, before dodging a blast from yet another enemy Death Glider.

He looked around for Teal'c and saw that he was headed for Nirrti's mother ship. Gallagher figured that he'd better cover his friend, so he fired several blasts at the enemy, causing them to turn on him. This gave Teal'c a little leeway, although there were still several Death Gliders that tried to stop him. Ba'al's fighters realized what the two newcomers were doing and provided cover fire to give Teal'c the opportunity to get closer to the mother ship.

Gallagher stayed busy as he steered his ship to alternately allow him to fire then flee. It was on one of his attempts to fire at his attackers that he noticed Teal'c's Death Glider fire at the mother ship, causing it to shudder due to the weakening of the shields during the battle.

Gallagher's eyes widened as he saw a blast of energy from Ba'al's Ha'tak racing toward Nirrti's ship. "T, get out of there!" he yelled into his radio, while turning his own ship away from the inevitable fallout.

He felt the explosion as his Glider reacted to the shock waves that followed him while he raced through space. He worried about Teal'c even as he fought the controls of his ship, trying to steady it so that he could see the aftermath of the explosion.

Gallagher stared in awe at the scene of the crime when he finally got control of the Death Glider. There was nothing left of Nirrti's ship, other than the miscellaneous pieces of metal floating in space. Ba'al's Death Gliders, at least those that had survived the explosion were milling about, probably looking for stray enemy ships. Gallagher couldn't tell if Teal'c was in any of the surviving Death Gliders and he was extremely worried for his friend. He didn't want to risk using the radio in case Ba'al was monitoring communications, so he was relieved to hear Janun's voice over his radio a few minutes later. "Jaffa! This is your Lord Sal'trey," he announced. "You will return to the Ha'tak immediately."

Gallagher steered his Death Glider toward the Tok'ra mother ship, hoping against hope that he would see Teal'c when he got there. His friend had been extremely close to Nirrti's mother ship when it exploded and Gallagher feared Teal'c didn't get out of there fast enough.

"I am returning now, my Lord," Gallagher said into his radio as he eased into the Death Glider bay. He docked the Death Glider and got out, looking around anxiously for any sign of his friend. Carter entered the bay, offering him a smile of relief.

"Teal'c?" he asked when she was close enough to him. He was terrified for his friend and he knew it was showing in his eyes.

She stopped and stared at him, her fear mirroring his own. "We've not heard anything yet," she said.

"Whoo hoo!" Jacob's voice cheered over the ship's intercom. "Get out of the way, he's on his way in!"

Gallagher grinned and grabbed Carter's hand as they both moved out of the cargo area. They stopped when they were safe enough to allow the cargo doors to open and waited for what seemed like hours for Teal'c to land his Death Glider. Their anxiety increased as they waited to find out if he had been hurt.

Gallagher was relieved when Teal'c finally brought in the Death Glider. At least he's alive, he thought, as he watched his friend dock the Glider, then climb out. Carter raced into the bay, followed closely by Gallagher. They were able to catch Teal'c as he fell.


	12. Chapter 12

O'Neill woke up with an agonizing headache. He didn't even try to open his eyes, the pain was excruciating with them closed. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to see even if he did open his eyes and he groaned when a particular piercing pain drove through his head. 

"Jack, tell me where it hurts. Jack? I know you're awake."

"Daniel," he whispered. "Head hurts… hangover… God."

"It's okay," Daniel soothed as O'Neill felt the healing device work its magic on his pain. He just wanted to die, wanted it all to end but was too weak to tell them that. He laid there waiting for the pain to go away or for death or whatever was going to happen next. He just didn't care anymore.

He was awakened sometime later by Daniel, who was shaking him and calling to him. "Jack? Wake up Jack. C'mon work with us on this, okay? Jack?"

"What?" he growled. He just needed some sleep. His back was on fire and he didn't want to feel any of it.

"Does anything else still hurt?" Daniel asked.

'Go away Daniel, let me sleep,' Jack wanted to shout. What was the emergency here? He tried to remember, but all he could think about was sleep and the pain in his lower back.

"Jack?" Daniel asked urgently when O'Neill didn't answer. "Please Jack," he begged.

"Daniel?" O'Neill was confused. "What?"

"Are you feeling any pain?" Daniel asked patiently. "I won't leave you alone until you tell me something, I swear it. Where do you hurt?"

"Back," O'Neill said trying to get rid of him. "Hurts…"

"Anything else?" Daniel asked.

"Promised you'd leave me alone," O'Neill grumbled as he felt himself being rolled over onto his stomach.

"Anything else hurt?" O'Neill heard someone else ask, Gallagher, he realized. The pain in his back was starting to ease and he relished in the welcomed warmth flowing through him.

"No. Yes, my legs, something's burning them," he said realizing that if he told them where he hurt the pain would go away. He didn't even care how they managed it, he was damned if he would stop them.

"Does your head still hurt?" Gallagher asked him while prodding his right eye open.

"Ow!" O'Neill yelped, jerking his head back. Please just let me die, he pleaded silently.

"I found another healing device!" he heard someone else say. Carter? "Can we use two at the same time?"

"I don't know; no one's ever needed to have two working at the same time." O'Neill had given up trying to determine who was who and tried once again to let sleep take over.

"Let's wait and see the results of just one before trying both." He realized that they had stopped asking him questions and went back to sleep almost immediately.

* * *

The General was finally out of danger and Gallagher was able to collapse onto a bed at last. He had slept fitfully an hour or two at a time for three days straight, not able to relax the whole time due to his worry about O'Neill. The Tok'ra and Sam had taken turns using the device, and at one point, used two at the same time. Sam had found a second device and they used both only when it was absolutely necessary. 

O'Neill had been out of it for the most part. They had worked double time when the poison entered his brain. The device worked well in healing those areas before the brain cells died completely, but it was a constant battle involving all five of the healers, who had won in the end. O'Neill woke up with Carter asking him a thousand and one questions to see if any permanent damage had been done. Gallagher figured the General had survived, what with all the growling and grumbling he had put them through as he tried to go back to sleep.

He grinned as he remembered the relief he felt when O'Neill woke up a little while ago demanding food in his most grating way. Daniel had run out to go get him something and every last person on that ship sat there watching him eat with huge grins on their faces, causing O'Neill to stop eating to ask, "What? Do I have food in my teeth?"

Gallagher closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep knowing that Teal'c was staying with O'Neill. Teal'c had suffered from a concussion and a broken wrist during the battle, but he was on the mend and Gallagher was still relieved to know Teal'c was going to survive, as well.

The mission had been a success and they were heading for home having once again saved another world. Nirrti had not only been defeated, but had gone up in a blaze of glory, lighting the whole area. Ba'al was still alive as far as they knew, but Nirrti was dead and that was one less System Lord they needed to eliminate.

Their only worry now was whether Ba'al was following them, which was highly possible. Now that O'Neill was out of the woods, they were going to concentrate on finding any possible detectors, while monitoring space activity at all times. Ba'al had accepted their help in defeating Nirrti, but they still didn't trust him. They were determined to make sure Ba'al didn't find the Tok'ra home world.

Gallagher could feel sleep dragging him down into its grasp and he relaxed his muscles in order to give in to it. He had just dozed off when Corlin, the Tok'ra operative who had spent the last few years on Nirrti's ship, came in and sat down on his bed. "Humph?" he groaned, keeping his eyes closed.

"Gallagher," she whispered, just before she stretched out next to him, laying her hand on his chest. "May I sleep here with you?" She laid her head down on his shoulder and sighed.

His eyes popped open at her words and he stared with surprise as she got comfortable next to him. What is it with the Tok'ra, he thought, remembering his encounter with Anise and her attempts to seduce him back at the SGC. Corlin was pretty, he had to admit, but this was definitely something he wanted to avoid. "There are plenty of other beds on this ship," he told her as he tried to push her off the bed.

"Yes, but you are in this one." The hand on his chest began to move and he grabbed it while sitting up, pulling her with him.

"Look," he said, "I'm very tired right now. I haven't slept properly in three days and all I want to do right now is crash. Maybe Kanan or Selmac would like to have you visit with them."

"I just want to sleep," she said, staring at him with surprise. "My host is plagued by dreams that terrify us both and we have always found comfort from others when the dreams wake us."

"There's a bed over there," he pointed out. "Why don't you go get comfortable in that one?"

"Do you have terrifying dreams?" she asked him.

"Yes, I do, but they are only dreams. I get over them and go back to sleep. It's not that difficult."

"It is for us," she said, lying back down pulling him with her. She closed her eyes and he marveled at the ease in which she fell asleep. Just like that.

Damned witch, he thought, as he got up and walked over to the other bed and laid down where he, too, fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He awoke twelve hours later feeling refreshed and ready to face anything. He got up and stretched, then decided to go check on his favorite General. He found Carter hovering over O'Neill, while Daniel was shuffling a deck of cards.

"Gallagher," O'Neill called out, "will you please tell these two mother hens that I am fine and able to get up and walk around without their help?"

"Sure thing General, just as soon as I believe it," Gallagher said, with a smile. He could see that O'Neill was doing much better and that pleased him to no end.

"He's just mad because I beat him two games in a row," Daniel said calmly.

"You should let me win because I almost died," O'Neill groused. "I would do it for you."

"No you wouldn't, and besides you're fine and able to get up without anyone's help, remember?"

"Well, I'm glad you finally agree to it," O'Neill said, getting up off the bed. He didn't get far as Carter pushed him back down.

"Give it another day," she said in a no nonsense voice.

"Jack, I know from experience that there is no getting around it when she gets it in her mind to help you get better," Gallagher said. "You might as well get comfy."

"Power hungry wench!" O'Neill grumbled, as he glared at Carter. "She just wants to be in command again, that's all."

"That's not true," Carter exclaimed, frowning at her CO.

"Well, now you know how I feel," Gallagher said, as he grinned at his former self.

"You in?" Daniel asked, as he started to deal the cards.

"Yeah," Gallagher replied, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Deal me in."

Jacob and Corlin walked in a few minutes later and Gallagher felt a moment of panic when he saw her. He grimaced at his reaction and went back to studying the cards in his hand.

"Hey Jack, I see you are doing much better," Jacob said, as he came over to give Carter a hug.

"Yes, I am. And I have been trying to convince these people of that fact for the last hour now." He glared at Carter, who just stared at him with a 'You're not going anywhere' look on her face. Just like a married couple, Gallagher thought, as hope welled up in him.

"There's no sign of Ba'al," Jacob announced. "We're thinking it's safe to say he's not following us."

"I agree," said Kanan, who had just walked in. "Other than O'Neill disappearing from his fortress during a battle, Ba'al has no reason of suspecting us of being Tok'ra."

Gallagher looked up from his cards and glanced over at Daniel, who had done the same thing. They stared at each other with concerned faces, having just realized the implications of what Kanan was saying. Crap, Gallagher thought.

"That could pose as a problem," Teal'c said. Gallagher looked around and saw the Jaffa standing in the doorway. This place was a regular Grand Central Station. "Ba'al may come to the same conclusion and come hunt us down."

"It would be difficult," Kanan replied. "We are too far away for any chance of detection now. I believe it is safe to say that we will not be found."

"Gallagher, I would like to hear more about the fact that you are an exact duplicate of O'Neill," Corlin said, changing the subject abruptly.

"Not exact," O'Neill hurried to correct, "and so much for keeping secrets," he said accusingly, as he glared at Jacob and Kanan.

"Will you tell me?" Corlin asked, ignoring all those around her. "I meant to ask you last night when I came to your bed, but I did not get a chance."

"You dog!" O'Neill said to Gallagher, with a big smile on his face. "He's a hit with the ladies – takes that after me," he said smugly to Carter and Jacob.

"Shut up O'Neill, it wasn't like that," Gallagher growled, as Carter, Jacob and Daniel laughed at the General's remark. "You should know that better than anybody," he added, thinking about Anise.

O'Neill just waggled his eyebrows at his clone, leaving Gallagher with a burning desire to smash the General's face in. Instead he went back to his cards, determined to ignore the whole topic.

"He is your clone, O'Neill. Of course he would do as you would," Kanan said, with a confused frown on his face. Gallagher couldn't help but grin at that statement. He supposed it was a little too much to ask that the Tok'ra understand the ego of a Tau'ri male.

"It was a joke," Jacob told Kanan. "Don't worry about it too much."

"Are we going to finish this game or what?" Gallagher asked, hoping to move the conversation to safer territory. "I was winning."

"I don't think so Jack," Daniel said. "I'm way ahead of you. I've got you both beat by a long shot."

"Wishful thinking there, Danny Boy," O'Neill scoffed. "You should see the cards I have in my hand."

"Nowhere near as good as the cards I'm holding," Gallagher rushed in to add. "You both should just quit right now to save face."

"No way!" Daniel exclaimed. "Why should I throw in a winning hand? You should quit…."

"Gentleman!" Corlin said, interrupting Daniel in mid stream. "May I suggest that you just continue your game to determine who the winner will be?"

"We were going to," O'Neill said, looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Yeah," said Daniel. "What made you think we weren't?" Gallagher just shrugged and shook his head when Daniel turned toward him and gave him a puzzled look.

"You were arguing about who had won the game and …." Corlin began.

"Why don't we just leave these guys alone," Jacob told Corlin, as he grinned at Gallagher. "I don't think I'm up to explaining every single statement and thing these three do. Coming Teal'c?"

"I am used to this," Teal'c replied with a grin. "I will stay here with my friends."

"Hey Jacob, I haven't eaten anything yet," Gallagher said as he swiveled around to look at him. "Would you mind getting me something from the supplies?"

"Yes, I would," Jacob replied with a pointed look. "Get it yourself."

"A pizza sounds good right about now," O'Neill said. "A pizza and beer… You old enough to drink?" he asked Gallagher.

"Technically or officially?" Gallagher replied. "Actually, since I am out in the middle of a galaxy somewhere, I would say it doesn't matter. Can't get arrested out here. Bring it on," he said with gusto.

"He's not old enough," Carter spoke up from her seat next to the General's bed. She had been so quiet up until then that Gallagher had forgotten she was even there.

"Even though I am not the General anymore, I'm still the same age as the old coot," Gallagher said, glaring at her.

"Who you calling an old coot?" O'Neill aimed his indignant glare at Gallagher.

"If the shoe fits, General, sir," Gallagher replied. "Whose turn is it?"

"Mine," said Daniel, as he reached for a card on the bed.

"You are still living in a 19 year-old body," Carter continued. "You're still too young."

"Technicalities," he said, dismissively.

"We do not have this beverage in our supplies," Kanan spoke up, causing the Tau'ri to stop what they were doing to stare at him.

"We know that," said O'Neill. "Hey, you know how to play poker?" he asked, as his face took on a calculating look.

"Uh uh, Jack," Jacob broke in, surprising Gallagher. He had thought Jacob had already left. "You are not getting this Ha'tak, so you can just forget it."

"I don't know what you mean," O'Neill said, trying to look innocent. "I just thought I would teach him about the finer things in life."

"You're still not getting the Ha'tak," Jacob insisted.

"Fine," O'Neill said, as he gave Gallagher a wary look. "Hey, you can't play that card there! He cheats," he grumbled to Carter. "He gets that from you!"

Gallagher protested his innocence while Carter grinned before the implications of what the General said sank in and the Tok'ra expressed total bewilderment by that statement. Jacob just threw up his hands and grabbed the arms of both Corlin and Kanan to drag them out of there, making an attempt to explain the Tau'ri humor as best he could. O'Neill took on the task of soothing Carter's ruffled feathers and Gallagher sat back and felt a contentment flowing through him. He had made the right decision in coming back to the SGC.

His mind drifted to the memory that had manifested into his consciousness and his dreams from the moment he met Shallan. He supposed the memory of her would always be there, just as Sara and Laira, the Edorian woman he had fallen for, were. And Sam, beautiful Colonel Carter, smiling at his jokes and frowning at him when she felt her command was threatened. He would always have those memories of her. Her ministrations and fear for him in Antarctica, jumping him in the locker room when she was infected with an alien virus, grabbing and hugging her to calm his fears when he thought Hathor had killed her in that cryogenic chamber, and the quiet times and stolen kisses when he thought her name was Thera on that ice planet. He loved Sam, just as he loved Sara and Laira, and he knew he shared Kanan's feelings for Shallan. They were a part of him and he drew comfort from these memories, knowing that there would never be a physical side of those relationships for him, not anymore. He could live with that, he thought, with a sad grin. After all, he had his whole life to live all over again.

Yep, he had made the right decision coming back to the SGC. He knew that future missions would be as dangerous as this one, but he was amongst his friends and together they would eliminate their enemies - one by one.


End file.
